I Blame You
by An-Jelly-Ca
Summary: Kel's pregnant. Who wants to tell her she can't go kill Scanrans? KelDom! R&R! Chapter 31 Up!
1. This Is All Your Fault!

**A/N I dunno. Just popped into my head. For this story members of the Own can marry. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

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"Neal?" Dom questioned his cousin who currently lay with his head in his hands apparently asleep. "Neal…" Dom repeated impatiently tapping his cousin's arm. Neal hadn't really been sleeping much since Yuki had their twins, a boy and a girl, named James and Genevieve. "Meathead!"

"Don't call me that." Neal mumbled through his arms.

"Come on, Meathead it's time to wake upppppppp!"

"What do you want?" Neal said pushing himself up and glaring sleepily at Dom.

"I need you to check on Kel."

"Why….?"

"She's sick, and as is typical of my darling wife, refusing to come see you."

"Oh…okay. Honestly, I don't understand how after all the years I've spent drumming into her thick skull that when you're sick you see a healer she continues to avoid coming to a healer when she's sick or injured for that matter. Seriously, what exactly about that seems difficult to grasp???"

"Uhm…I don't know. Why don't you ask Kel when you go and check on her?"

"Yeah, yeah. I get the point." Neal muttered.

"Bye-Bye, Meathead."

"Bye, _Domitian._" Neal answered with a smirk getting up from the table and heading upstairs to the rooms Kel and Dom shared at the palace. "Kel." Neal called knocking on the door. Neal received no response other then the sound of someone throwing up. "Kel?!" Neal called again, "Let me in, Dom sent me to see what's wrong."

"Nobody's home."

"Kel."

"I'm fine."

"Then you should have no problem opening the door."

"Go away."

"Do you want me to break the door down?" Neal inquired.

"I don't think the king would appreciate your vandalism of his palace." Neal sighed and his fingers lit up with a green glow, Neal grabbed the handle and the door unlocked. "Hey, Neal." Kel said backing slowly away from her angry looking friend, so that she was closer to the door.

"We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way."

"I really have to be going." Kel said backing out the door and running down the hallway. Neal hurriedly ran after his fleeing friend muttering darkly.

"Raoul, Alanna! Stop her!" Neal yelled when he saw them approaching from the direction Kel was headed. Raoul reached out and grabbed Kel by the arm as she attempted to get past them.

"What's going on?" Alanna asked.

"Kel here is sick and refusing to let me give her an exam."

"Kel!" Raoul scolded.

"Like you would have gone." Kel replied.

"She does have a point." Alanna added.

"Stop helping her corrupt my spotless reputation!" Raoul ordered his friend.

"Ha, spotless!" Alanna laughed.

"This is ridiculous, I'm leaving." Kel said trying to wrench her arm from Raoul's grasp.

"You're right, Kel, you're leaving all right, right to the infirmary."

"Neal…"

"I'm not arguing with you over this, you're going that's final." Neal said and then proceeded with the help of Raoul and Alanna to drag a protesting Kel down the hall to the infirmary. "Lay down." Neal commanded indicating to a bed. Raoul and Alanna were waiting outside bickering again. "Now." Neal added. Kel sighed and did as he ordered. "Now that wasn't so hard was it?" Neal said as his hand glowed green once again and he scanned Kel. He gasped in shock at what he found when he reached her stomach.

"What?!" Kel demanded.

"Uh…I'll be right back." Neal said nervously backing out of the room. "Raoul can you go get Dom? And Alanna can you go sit in there with Kel?"

"Sure." They answered together heading in opposite directions. "Oh and Neal, don't think you're going to get away with not telling me why you want me to distract Kel." Alanna told her former squire.

"I didn't say distract her I said sit with her."

"Potato, Pototo." Alanna said heading into the room Kel was in.

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"Neal wants you." Raoul said coming up to where a distracted looking Dom was running drills with his squad.

"Is something wrong with Kel?? Did he check on her?! IS she okay???" Dom asked panicking.

"Come with me and we'll see, I'm sure she's fine though."

"Thanks, my lord."

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"What's Neal hiding?" Kel asked as soon as Alanna came in.

"I don't know, but he has to tell you. He sent Raoul to get Dom, though." Alanna said thoughtfully.

"Why? I probably just have the flu."

"Well, you know our Neal he's just weird like that."

"He is, isn't he?"

"Yup." They both looked up as Neal came back in.

"Alanna I need to talk to Kel could you possibly leave?"

"How very rude, Nealen." Alanna said as she left the room.

"Do you want me to call Dom in?" Neal asked.

"Uhm…sure."

"Dom can you come in here?" Neal called sticking his head out the door. Dom was there before he finished his request. Dom sat down next to Kel's bed and grabbed her hand.

"Well..?" Kel inquired.

"Kel, I uh, found out what's wrong with you."

"And…?" Dom asked.

"Kel, you're um pregnant." Dom blinked at him and Kel stared open mouthed.

'I'm sorry, Neal, I could swear I heard you say, I'm pregnant."

"That's because I did."

"What?! There is no way…"

"There kind of is, Kel, remember when last month…"

"Too much information!" Neal shrieked. "You're about a month along." He added. "Kel, you do know that you're going to have to stay out of any approaching conflicts, right? No running off and attacking, Scanrans. You have to stay her, or you could go to Masbolle or Mindelan." Neal finished.

"What??? If you think for one second I am going to spend nine months lounging about you are very, very wrong." Kel shrieked.

"It's not actually optional." Neal remarked. "And besides if you think the King is going to let a pregnant knight gallivant after Scanrans you're the one who's very, very wrong."

"This is all your fault." Kel informed Dom. "I think I'm going to be sick." She added running into the bathroom with Dom following her, while Neal shook his head at the pair. Once Kel came back with Dom trailing after her Neal pronounced her well and ordered her to rest.

"Are you happy?" Dom asked his wife as they headed to the waiting area.

"I really am, but I'm mad that just because I'm pregnant I'm not going to be allowed to fight. Are you happy?"

"Yup." Dom answered with a grin.

"What happened?" Alanna demanded as soon as they reached the waiting area.

"You want to tell them?" Dom asked.

"I guess, According to Neal I'm well pregnant."

"Congratulations Kel, Dom." Raoul said giving his former squire a hug and his sergeant a hand shake.

"That's so awesome, Kel! Did you hit him?" Alanna asked.

"Um…no."

"I hit George, broke his nose, too."

"That's lovely, Alanna." Neal remarked walking over.

"It was funny, I saw it. You should have seen George's face." Raoul said laughing at the memory.

"Don't give her any ideas." Dom said.

"Haha." Kel and Alanna said together.

"Come on, Kel we should be headed back to out rooms, you heard, Meathead."

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?" Neal demanded.

"About as many times as Kel will have to tell him to stop calling her Protector." Raoul said with a laugh, as Dom took Kel's hand and dragged her from the infirmary talking excitedly.

"He's going to drive her nuts." Raoul commented shaking his head.

"Much like Nealen, her drove Yuki insane."

"I resent that."

"You _resemble_ that." Alanna corrected.

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"I think we better go tell Yuki, because there is no way…"

"Meathead will be able to keep it a secret especially from her?" Dom finished.

"Exactly." Kel said pulling Dom toward the rooms Neal and Yuki shared. "Yuki?" Kel called knocking on the door. Her knock was answered with two screaming babies. Yuki opened the door a second later with two babies in her arms. "Want me to take one?" Kel asked.

"That'd be great. Thanks." Yuki said relieved handing Genevieve to her friend.

"We have news." Kel announced once she managed to calm the baby down.

"Well, what is it, tell me!"

"I wasn't feeling well, and Dom here decided to force me to the infirmary, or rather make Neal force me to the infirmary, and Yuki, I'm pregnant."

"That is amazing, Kel!" Yuki said carefully hugging her friend as they were both holding kids. "Are you excited?"

"Yeah, I can't wait!"

"Bye, Yuki, Kel and I have to be going." Dom said pulling his wife to her feet.

"But we just got here…"

"And Meathead says you have to rest."

"Bye, Yuki." Kel said giving in and hugging her friend, before giving Genevieve back.

"Bye, Kel. Bye, Dom." Yuki said.

"I don't know how she and Neal handle two infants at once." Kel remarked.

"At least we don't have that problem."

"Yup." Kel said with a smile as she and Dom entered their rooms and flopped down on their bed.

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One week later…

"How's Kel?" Neal said sitting down next to his cousin.

"Just peachy. She spent half the morning throwing a fit because I told her that her glaive weighed more then she was supposed to lift. She threw a shoe at my head."

"That would explain the black eye."

"Ha-Ha, Meathead."

"It's just a mood wing. And besides you only have seven months and three weeks more to endure."

"Lucky me."

"Then the real fun starts, you get a fun screaming baby who cries all night."

"Not helping."

"When has Neal ever been helpful?" Alanna asked sitting down next to the cousins.

"I'm not sure." Dom said pretending to think. "There was that one time…no…"

"You two are real funny."

"We try." Alanna replied.

"Ha-ha." Neal muttered getting up and heading to the infirmary.

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**A/N Anyways I hope everyone liked it! Review please! Did my smileys show up??**


	2. Sign Them!

**A/N You guys are so amazing! Thanx so much for your comments! I love them! Keep them coming!**

**Disclaimer: I promise I don't own anything:0) I do owe money though! Lol! I owe my sister like $13.**

"All right, everyone I've just received orders from the King. We are to go to Steadfast and escort Prince Roald from there back here." Raoul explained to his soldiers. "Oh and Dom before you say you can't leave Kel, it's only going to be a week, and personally I think that if you are around Kel much more she will take up Alanna on her advice and punch you." Raoul added when Dom opened his mouth to speak.

"You're probably right, my lord." Dom admitted.

"All right everyone you can go be ready to leave at dawn tomorrow." Raoul finished dismissing his soldiers. Dom hurriedly left to find Kel. He ended up finding her in the mess hall being lectured by Neal about how she needed to take her vitamins and eat proper meals. Dom watched in amusement as Kel grabbed Neal by the front of his shirt and informed him that if he did not leave her be she would lock him in a stall with Peachblossom while she egged on her horse. Dom sat down next to his wife and reflected briefly on how happy he was when the kind finally decided that with the continuingly low recruitment rates of the Own to let members marry in an attempt to raise their numbers. It had worked too, and Dom couldn't be happier since he had gotten to marry Kel.

"Kel, Lord Raoul just got orders from the King, the Own leaves tomorrow to escort Prince Roald back to the palace." Dom informed his wife. "We'll just be gone a week or so, you'll be fine for that long, right?"

"Yes, Dom, I'll be perfectly fine, stop fussing." Kel answered her husband.

"Good, now eat our breakfast."

"I will hurt you." Kel said narrowing her eyes darkly at her husband causing him to gulp and back away. Dom then turned and ran from the mess hall muttering about having to go train with third company.

"What was that about?" Merric asked sitting down across from Kel and Neal.

"Dom was bugging her about…Ow!" Neal started only to stop when Kel stepped on his foot reminding him that she'd yet to tell most of their friends that she was pregnant. "Don't you have something you want to tell Merric?" Neal added.

"No." Kel said sullenly.

"Kel." Neal pestered.

"Fine. Merric, Dom and I are having a baby, I'm pregnant."

"That's great Kel, congratulations. I take it your not so happy that you can't go off to war?"

"Who says I can't go off to war?!"

"Um…everyone…including me…your healer…who would have to sign off for you to be allowed anywhere near a battle zone…"

"So you can sign off to let me go to war?" Kel inquired her town eerily pleasant.

"Yeah…"

"Uh, Neal I recommend going to check on Yuki." Merric interrupted.

"Why?"

"Go." Merric warned.

"Sign off on the papers!" Kel demanded.

"Uh, yeah you're right Merric I should check on Yuki." Neal said turning and fleeing the room.

"NEALAN OF QUEENSCOVE! YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER!" Kel yelled after him.

"I can try." He answered over his shoulder as he ran out the door. Kel briefly contemplated running after him but decided if she did she would most likely throw up. When Dom left the next day Neal was still hiding from Kel but had, had to come out of hiding because Dom wanted him to be sure to check on Kel. Neal walked cautiously to his friend's rooms and knocked on the door.

"What?" Kel called.

"Uh…Kel? It's Neal. Open up."

"Will you sign the papers?"

"No."

"Then I'm not opening the doors."

"Kel."

"Too bad." Kel answered walking across the room and flopping down on the bed she was feeling nauseous again. She continued to ignore all of Neal's calls, however eventually he just used his magic to open the door. Kel ignored him and closed her eyes hoping he would go away.

"How do you feel?" Neal said automatically slipping into healer mode.

"Fine." Kel muttered.

"_Mmmhmm_. How do you _actually_ feel?"

"Like I'm going to throw up. Now will you leave me alone."

"No."

"Neal…"

"Here come with me, I have some tea that will make your stomach feel better."

"Healer tea is gross." Kel responded.

"Yes, yes it is. But I don't really care. You're getting some anyways." Neal said pulling Kel up and out of the room to the infirmary where he made her some tea and gave it to her along with a jar which contained more of the tea. "Drink this when you feel nauseous all right?"

"_Right_."

"Do you want me to get Tobe to make you drink it like last time?"

"No." Kel answered sullenly taking a sip of the tea and shuddering.

"Then drink it."

"Fine. Can I go back to my rooms now?"

"Go ahead. But be back here next Tuesday you have your two month appointment."

"Fine." Kel said deciding not to argue with her stubborn friend. For now anyways. She would argue with him later.

**A/N Everybody Review and I'll update again this weekend! I like reviews!**


	3. I'm What?

**A/N Thanks for all the wonderful reviews people! **

**Disclaimer: Tuzzi pottes? (I think that's how you spell it?)**

"What are you doing Kel?" Alanna asked coming up behind Kel announced causing Kel to jump and cover her parchment quickly.

"I'll tell you what I'm not doing; I'm not plotting how best to slowly and painfully kill Neal." Kel blurted out while Alanna leaned against her desk.

"Good." Alanna started causing Kel to gape at her. Was this the same person who asked whether she'd punched Dom?! "Because that would be very unilateral of you, you should also be thinking of where to hide his body, who to pin the crime on, and if they somehow manage to pin it on you how to blame it on pregnancy hormones and get off." Alanna continued. Kel sighed in relief; she'd been worried for a minute. "What did my darling ex squire do this time?" Alanna asked now sitting on the edge of Kel's desk.

"He won't leave me alone. With Dom gone he seems to feel he needs to bug me twice as much. Dom's going to pay for leaving me with Neal when he gets back."

"Good for you." Alanna said just as the door to Kel's rooms burst open to reveal Neal.

"Kel, did you take your vitamins today?" Neal questioned seemingly not noticing Alanna. He did however notice her when both Kel and Alanna turned to glare at him.

"And he says that _I _mother him, but it seems to me that Neal is the one who is always fussing over everyone's health."

"It does come with being a healer." Neal remarked glaring at his friend.

"You take it to a whole new level." Kel argued.

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do…"

"Be quiet, you do too, Nealan, and if you have enough energy to sit here arguing with Kel then you can come with me, I feel like practicing some sparring." Alanna said grinning at Kel and grabbing a terrified looking Neal by the arm and dragging him from the room.

**Later…**

Neal was currently sitting slumped over in the mess hall an icepack on his head. Kel had tried and failed to hold in laughter when she saw him. Alanna however looked perfectly fine in fact she was bouncing happily around the mess hall trying to tempt people into sparring with her. Unfortunately Raoul was away with the rest of the Own, and no one else was really brave enough to fight Alanna, which is why the mess was basically empty other then a few people hiding under tables. Kel would have volunteered to fight Alanna but Neal had squashed that idea before she even said it out loud. "You have an appointment with me when Dom comes back, on Tuesday afternoon at one."

"Yeah, yeah. I liked you better when you were moaning about how Alanna was going to cause your death one of these days." Kel responded.

"Ha-ha."

**Tuesday…**

"Dom!" Kel exclaimed hugging her husband as soon as he dismounted his horse.

"Hey!" Dom said spinning around his wife before putting her back on her feet. The movement however caused Kel to look slightly green. "Oops. Sorry." Dom said sheepishly.

"Why are you spinning around my patients?" Neal asked coming up behind his cousin.

"Do you see what you left me with?!"

"ME?! She's the one who has been stubbornly refusing to take care of herself!" Neal exclaimed.

"If he had it his way I'd stay in my rooms all day lying in bed!" Kel answered.

"Okay, time out. Meathead, Protector, go to your corners." Dom said amused his blue eyes twinkling.

"Don't call me that!" Neal and Kel exclaimed together.

"Aww, how cute. You talk together!" Dom said grinning.

"Shall we kill him together?" Kel inquired.

"I do believe we shall."

"Now, Kel, don't do anything rash. You don't want to side with the evil healer who's been pestering you for weeks."

"Don't listen to him Kel, he made me check up on you!" Neal exclaimed.

"Maybe, I should just kill both of you? Alanna was explaining the finer points to me the other day. I can kill one of Dom and then kill Neal and blame Dom's death on Neal, making it look like Neal died from injuries sustained in his fight with Dom." Kel mused. The two cousins exchanged scared looks backing away slowly.

**Later…**

"Come on, Kel. Neal told me about your appointment, you can't just sit there and pretend you aren't supposed to go for a check up today."

"But I don't wanna." Kel whined allowing herself to be led from their rooms into the infirmary.

"Hey, Kel, Dom." Neal said leading the couple into a private room.

"Hey, Meathead." Dom answered for both of them while Kel sat down on the bed Neal had indicated to.

"I'm not even going to respond to that." Neal muttered.

"There's a first! Are you feeling okay?"

"This won't take long." Neal said pointedly ignoring his cousin and allowing his hand to glow green. He rested his hand on his friend's stomach and closed his eyes concentrating on what he saw. Neal gasped and opened his eyes gaping at Kel and Dom. Kel was so going to kill Dom when he told her this. Normally Neal would find it extremely funny to watch her attack his cousin but if Dom died, Neal would have to take care of Kel for the duration of her pregnancy and as he found out with Yuki it was not something he wanted to do.

"Neal? Neal?" Kel questioned.

"Meathead?!"

"What?" Neal asked focusing on them for the first time since making his discovery.

"What is it, Neal?" Kel asked.

"Oh. Um. Well Kel, it seems you're not having _a _baby you'rehaving _three _babies."

**A/N Muhuhahaha! Review and I shall update! This is like my only story I don't have severe writer's block for. sigh Reviews make me smile, and smiles make updates! **


	4. Angry Lady Knights

**A/N Thanks everyone for the reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I promise I don't own PoTs!**

"What did you say, Neal?" Dom asked momentarily forgetting to call his cousin Meathead.

"Um I said Kel is having triplets." Neal supplied. Dom gaped at his cousin.

"I don't believe you." Kel said crossing her arm across her chest. "This is some kind of conspiracy." She declared.

"I can run the test again." Neal answered.

"What makes you think I'll believe you if you run it a second time?"

"I can ask my Dad to do the test again then."

"No you can't because Dom hasn't told the rest of your family that I'm pregnant."

"You two should really get on that."

"You're missing the point." Kel answered.

"Fine, I'll get Alanna to do it then, do you think Alanna would quote 'conspire' against you?"

"No." Kel said sullenly.

"Good. I'll go get her." Neal said leaving the room. Dom was still staring open mouthed. Neal returned five minutes later with Alanna.

"What's this about, Nealan?" Alanna asked.

"Kel doesn't believe me about what I found during her exam so she wants you to give her a second opinion."

"About what?" Alanna asked as her hand lit up with a purple glow.

"Just give her the exam and you'll see." Neal answered. Alanna mumbled about impudent former squires before placing her hand on Kel's stomach much like Neal had done and closed her eyes.

"Mithros! Kel did you know you're having triplets?" Alanna asked.

"See!" Neal exclaimed.

"…"

"Kel? Hellooooooooooooo?" Neal asked waving a hand in front of her face.

"Do you remember that conversation we had when Neal and Yuki first had the twins?" Kel asked Dom her tone dangerously soft.

"Um…no." Dom said.

"Allow me to refresh your memory then. The conversation where you told me that we would never have to worry about having more then one kid at a time because Neal got it from the other side of his family."

"Oh, well it may have er slipped my mind that triplets do run in our er family?" Dom asked phrasing it as a question rather then an answer. He glared at Alanna and Neal who were taking bets on whether Kel would hit Dom and if she did hit him how hard she'd do it.

"Just SLIPPED your mind?" Kel asked. Dom stood up nervously and smiled at his wife.

"Um…yeah?"

"She's going to hurt you, you know that right?" Neal asked his cousin.

"No really, Meathead? I couldn't tell." Dom said sarcastically.

"I'm not the one who forgot that there have been oh about three sets of triplets in our family in the last six generations."

"Three sets?! Three? THERE WERE THREE SETS OF TRIPLETS IN YOUR FAMILY AND YOU DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS SIGINIFIGANT?" Kel exclaimed.

"Um…" Dom said right before he ended up on the ground.

"I think you gave him a black eye." Alanna commented. "It's turning purple." She added. "Is it bleeding?" She inquired.

"Yeah, I think it is." Neal answered.

"Could one of you just heal my eye?!" Dom asked.

"No, I don't heal idiot husbands who don't tell their wives such important things." Alanna answered.

"And I don't want Alanna or Kel to hit me." Neal answered. "But there's some ice in the other room." He added as an afterthought. "I'd have run away before she hit me." Neal observed when Dom came back into the room.

"Yes, well I'm braver then you are." Dom answered holding the ice on his eye which had swollen shut.

"More like stupider."

"And what standard of intelligence are you using for this analysis?" Dom inquired.

"Again who didn't remember that there were three sets of triplets in six generations?" Neal repeated. Dom waved the hand not holding the ice to his face dismissively.

"That's just a lack of long term memory. It has nothing to do with intelligence."

"Do you hear yourself when you talk?"

"That depends on whether you can…" Dom's retort to his cousin was cut off by Alanna who had grown bored with their bickering.

"Be quiet, children." Alanna said. "Oh and Dom stop trying to escape from the room." Alanna said referring to the fact that Dom had been backing steadily closer to the door throughout the entire conversation.

"I'm not trying to escape I'm uh taking a stroll around the room."

"_Right._" Neal said sarcastically. "I thought you said you were 'braver' then me?"

"I am." Dom said taking another noticeable step backwards.

"What did I tell you two about arguing?!" Alanna exclaimed.

"But…" Neal started.

"The next one of you who talks is coming to the practice courts with me." Alanna said causing both men to close their mouths with an audible click. "Isn't the silence lovely, Kel?" Alanna inquired winking at the other lady knight.

"Why, yes, yes it is."

"It's so peaceful when these idiots shut up." Alanna commented.

"I agree with you there. Such a shame that situation with…" Kel started

"Yes, it really is a shame, it's such a scandal." Alanna said continuing with the process of baiting one of the boys into talking.

"What? What happened?" Neal burst out.

"Nothing." Alanna said with an evil grin.

"You just talked, Meathead, which means you get to go have some more big fun sparring with Alanna." Dom said with an evil grin. Neal turned pale realizing his mistake just Alanna grabbed him by the arm and dragged him from the room as she waved good bye to Kel. Dom realized that he was now alone with his wife who probably still wanted to kill him. He turned around when he heard the door slam shut. Dom hadn't even heard Kel come up behind him. "Hello, dear, lovely morning isn't it." Dom asked nervously as Kel grabbed the collar of Dom's shirt pulling him down a few inches so that his face was level with hers. "It's not like I _knew_ you were going to get pregnant with three kids."

"Actually, you knew there was a good possibility would." Kel replied.

"But I forgot." Dom whined.

"Yes well that's all fine and dandy but you aren't the one who has to give birth to three kids. Do you have any idea how much that would hurt?" Kel inquired as her husband turned pale shaking his head. "Let's put it this way when Alanna first went into labor with **_one kid_** she broke George's hand, actually she pretty much smashed all of the bones in it. Took the healers awhile to figure out how to repair it."

"Erm…I think I here Raoul calling me." Dom said managing to free himself from his wife's grasp. He then turned and headed at a rather fast pace from the room. Kel shook her head at him, it really was quite fun making him squirm, actually although she'd yet to tell Dom this (because really he deserved it for forgetting that triplets run in his family) she was quite happy with the prospect of having three kids at once now that she had thought about it. Their were several benefits to it, 1st that triplets are just so cute, and 2nd that this way since she'd wanted to have at least three kids eventually she would have to take less time off work if she had them all at once.

**Raoul and Dom and Neal…**

"What happened to you two?" Raoul asked upon seeing Dom and Neal slumped over in the mess hall. Neal was covered in a smattering of bruises which were turning colors Raoul hadn't thought possible and various cuts and Dom's eye while already swollen shut was now an interesting shade which bordered between blue and purple.

"Lady Knights." Neal mumbled not bothering to lift his head from the table.

"Ah." Raoul said. "I'm assuming you both lost the fight."

"For all you know Alanna and Kel could be lying in the infirmary as we speak."

"Actually based on my powers of deduction which include A. Neither of you would actually hit Kel in her current state or really at all for that matter, B. Even if you would you'd lose, C. Neal you've never beaten Alanna nor have you, Dom for that matter, and D. Kel had an appointment with Neal today which leads me to the conclusion that she found out something she wasn't to thrilled with and punched Dom."

"Okay, so maybe your right about the Dom part but you never said how I ended up sparring with Alanna yet again." Neal mumbled.

"Isn't it obvious? You said something stupid and Alanna dragged you forcibly from the room to the practice courts."

"How does he do that?" Neal exclaimed.

"Years of practice." Dom answered fighting the urge to glare at his commander.

**A/N Next chapter will have lots of lovely fluff in it. As long as I get lots of reviews!**


	5. Naming the Kids

**A/N plays with legos: Actually there are several things wrong with your logic 1st fraternal twins are genetically determined by the mother, not random, 2nd triplets are also not random and they can in fact be identical. So since they can be identical they could in fact run in Dom's side of the family and not in Kel's. If you would like to check on my information then please go to this site: http:// www. / baby / twins-triplets-more (Just remove the spaces)**

**Thanks for the comment though because it gave me the opportunity to go research my information to make sure it was right. If you see anything else you think is wrong feel free to tell me. **

**Thanks for all the reviews everybody! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own PoTs. Tamora Pierce does! **

"Kel? Are you here?" Dom called as he opened the door to their rooms at the palace.

"Yeah I'm in here." Kel called from the bedroom.

"Whatcha doing?" Dom asked sitting down next to her on the bed.

"Thinking of baby names, wanna help?" Kel asked.

"Of course." Dom said smiling at his wife and laying next to her pulling her closer to him so she was laying her head on his shoulder. "Thought of any good ones so far?"

"Nope." Kel said with a laugh. "Your eye looks better." She added.

"Lord Raoul had a field day with that by the way."

"I wish I had seen that." Kel said with a snort.

"You're words wound me, Protector."

"Disregarding your lack of listening skills when it comes to not calling me by 'that' name, do you have any ideas for baby names?"

"Hmm…well we need three boy's names and three girl's names."

"That does sort of go along with having triplets." Kel said.

"Mock me if you will."

"I will." Kel said snuggling closer to her husband. Dom mock glared at his wife before settling in to think of names. They sat there silently for a few minutes before either of them had an idea. "I like Dominica, if one of the kids is a girl. It's like your name for a girl and it means 'lord' and so does yours." Kel decided.

"Me too." Dom said nodding. It was a cute name, after all. "Now we just need two more girl's names. Do you want them to match?"

"I'm not sure." Kel said. "Let's just think of names and if they match they match." She added.

"I like Arianna." Dom decided.

"It means 'very holy one.' All of our kids have religion themed names so far." Kel said laughing.

"They can match that way then. And how do you know all these name meanings?"

"I'm just smart like that." Kel said laughing.

"I vote we name one Beset."

"The one name you know the meaning of." Kel said glaring at Dom. "I am not naming our kid Protector."

"Why? It would be so cute! And it would be after you."

"My name's not Protector."

"Whatever you say."

"It isn't!"

"Sure."

"Dom!" Kel exclaimed. "How about Michaela?"

"What does it mean?"

"It means 'who is like god.' What do you think of it?"

"I like it, their cute Michaela, Arianna, and Dominica!"

"Now for the boy's names." Kel said turning back to the task at hand.

"I like David." Dom said after sitting their silently for a minute.

"It means 'beloved.'"

"What did you do memorize the meaning of every name?"

"Pretty much. Neal means 'horn'." Kel said laughing.

"I can't wait to tell dear cousin Meathead that."

"Okay, moving on, how about Matthew for another one?" Kel asked.

"What does that one mean?" Dom asked still laughing from what Neal means.

"It means 'gift of the lord'."

"Ha, Neal's name means horn, mine means lord!"

"I regret telling you that." Kel said shaking her head at her husband.

"Let's name the last boy Adam." Dom said.

"Which means 'earth'."

"Our kids are going to be so cute." Dom said smiling at his wife.

"Yup! I can't wait to see what they look like!" Kel said thoughtfully.

"Can I go make fun of Neal now?" Dom asked giving her a sad puppy face.

"Yes." Kel said smiling at Dom whose face lit up.

"Come with me! It'll be funny plus we can tell everyone we've forgotten to tell that you're pregnant, and the babies' names!"

"All right." Kel said wearily getting up she really was quite comfortable just laying there.

**A/N Neal torture in the next chapter! I love fluff! Lol. Review, please!**


	6. Names and Their Meanings

**A/N Thanks for all the reviews! I loved them! Sorry for the long wait!**

**Disclaimer: I ownnnnnnnnn no one! Oh wait that's not good. Lol…It's like earlier when my cousin Nick said he was going to pitch the ball to me and I was like good. And then my other cousin Josie was like 'No Jelly that's not good, that's bad.' And I was like 'Oh, whoops, WAIT DON'T THROW IT HARD NICHOLAS!' lol. R&R**

"I knooooooooooowwwwwwww something you don't know." Dom sing-songed grinning mischievously at his cousin.

"And what may I ask is that?" Neal inquired raising an eyebrow; while Kel sat down next to Yuki and prepared for impending doom.

"My name means LORD." Dom exclaimed.

"…"

"Guess what yours means!" Dom added.

"What?" Neal asked looking like he'd rather not know.

"HORN! It's even worse then Meathead, maybe I'll call you horn from now on, or perhaps Hornhead. I'm planning to post bulletins throughout the palace." Dom explained gleefully. While Kel and Yuki looked rather scared.

"You're lying." Neal decided. "There's no way my parents would give me such a name."

"I'm not! Am I, Kel?"

"He's not."

"And I'm supposed to listen to her?! She's your wife!" Neal exclaimed only to be hit on the back of the head by Kel.

"'She' happens to be your best friend." Kel said angrily.

"Uh…"

"Apologize." Yuki said in a tone which clearly meant say-your-sorry-right-now-and-you-better-mean-it-or-what-I-do-will-be-ten-times-worse-then-anything-Alanna-did-to-you-in-four-years-of-squiredom. Neal winced and hastened to apologize.

"Sorry, Kel." Neal said looking down.

"It's okay." Kel said her mood abruptly switching back to happy.

"My name does not mean that!" Neal said immediately turning back to Dom.

"Yes it does!" Dom insisted.

"No…"

"SIR NEALAN OF QUEENSCOVE'S NAME MEANS HORN!" Dom shouted cupping his hands around his mouth and standing on a bench.

"Dom." Kel hissed. "Be quiet."

"But, Protector…"

"Don't CALL me that!" She exclaimed and he wisely decided not to respond for once.

"I always knew that one was evil." Alanna said nodding her head as she walked over to the group; Raoul followed a few steps behind her. Neal sniffed, offended.

"What does my name mean?" Alanna asked ignoring Neal and his mutterings.

"Uh…" Kel said hesitantly.

"Tell her." Raoul ordered. Kel was still reluctant to disobey her former knight master so she backed up a step positioning Dom between her an Alanna.

"It means…er…'little child'" Kel said as Alanna turned a furious shade of red and her eyes flashed a dangerous shade of purple when the group other then Kel and Yuki who wisely valued their lives burst into laughter.

"I AM NOT LITTLE." Alanna could be heard shrieking throughout the palace. Which is why Jon walked in with Thayet at his side five minutes later.

"Whatever you say pipsqueak." Jon said smirking.

"Arghhhhhhhh!" Alanna exclaimed attempting to launch herself at the King, the only reason she didn't is because Raoul grabbed her around the waist and held her back.

"What is she screaming about anyway?"

"Well, Dom was teasing Neal about his name meaning Horn…"

"Yes, we heard Domitian screaming that." Thayet said with a nod.

"And then Alanna asked what her name meant. And Kel told her it means 'little child' and she started screaming." Raoul continued. Jon nodded.

"That makes perfect sense." He said carefully keeping out of the struggling Alanna's reach.

"Well Mr. Holier then thou let's see what your name means!" Alanna exclaimed when she realized Raoul wouldn't be releasing her anytime soon.

"Jon means 'God gave'." Kel responded.

"GAH!" Alanna shrieked.

"This seems to be a very accurate analysis." John decided.

"I don't believe it. Kel, what does Raoul mean?"

"It means 'wolf counsel.'" Kel answered.

"…" Everyone stared at her blankly unsure how to respond to that.

"Well…what does…uh…?" Alanna started glancing around the room looking for someone's name to use. "George mean?"

"Oh it means 'a tiller of the soil or farmer'" Kel answered.

"HA!" Alanna said jubilantly. "George is not a farmer!"

"Okay…but you are little." Jon said. Raoul barely managed to maintain his hold on Alanna when Jon said that.

**A/N Review! I'm getting kind of stuck. Suggestions are welcomed! **


	7. Planning

**A/N Thanks for all your suggestions people. I will probably use a lot of them at some point:0)**

**Thanks To All Reviewers!  
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I wish I did though. (cries)**

"Dom, you realize we haven't told either of our families that I'm pregnant yet, right?" Kel asked from where she sat cross legged on their bed filling out a report for the King on a mission that had taken place three months ago. Technically, she should have written it awhile ago…but…well…she never got around to it with the excitement of finding out she was pregnant.

"Yes…" Dom said glancing up from his own reports.

"Don't you think we should go tell them…?" Kel asked. "Especially since I'm not allowed to work, and you have the next two and a half weeks off. Wouldn't it make sense for us to go visit them and tell them? We could spend around a week with each of our families." Kel said outlining her plan.

"I suppose we should…" Dom mused. "My Mother is going to freak when she find out we've known you were pregnant with her grandchildren for over a month and I didn't tell her."

"…not my fault…" Kel decided after a pause.

"Oh and it's mine?"

"Of course." Kel said grinning at him.

"Everyone is so mean to me…" Dom kidded with a fake sniffle as he got up from his chair and walked over to the bed, sitting down next to Kel.

"You're starting to sound like Neal…" Kel kidded. Dom let out a loud gasp.

"How dare you insult me in such a manner, Protector?" Dom said his blue eyes dancing happily.

"Stop calling me that." Kel said with a groan.

"Okay, Protector."

"Dom."

"What is it my dearest Protector of the Small?"

"_Domitian_."

"That was low, Protector, very low." Dom said with a scowl. Kel turned innocent hazel eyes on her husband.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said struggling to keep from laughing.

"Sure, sure, _Keladry_." Dom retorted. Kel grinned at him.

"All right stop fooling around, we need to go inform people that we're leaving so they don't think we've randomly run off. Or that I killed you and am off disposing of the body…" Kel said thoughtfully. Dom edged away from her. Kel pretended to consider the matter before grinning and kissing Dom and grabbing his hand, dragging him from their rooms. "Let's go visit Neal and Yuki." Kel decided heading down the hall toward their rooms with Dom trailing behind his wife. "Neal…open up…it's Kel." Kel called knocking on her friends' door.

"Hey, Kel, Dom." Neal said pulling open the door with his free hand. The other hand was holding his daughter Genevieve. He stepped back to let them in. "What brings you here?" Neal questioned walking further into the rooms. Yuki was sitting on the couch holding James.

"We're headed to Masbolle and Mindelan to tell our families about the pregnancy." Kel answered.

"What a coincidence we happen to be headed to Queenscove and we planned to stop and visit my dearest Aunt and Uncle." Neal said cheerfully.

"I don't believe you." Dom said suspiciously. "You were probably spying outside our rooms and found out where we were going and want to get me in more trouble for not telling about the pregnancy so you're coming with." Dom accused. Neal raised an eyebrow at him.

"If what you just said made sense, dear cousin, you would still be incorrect, because _I _have had this trip planned for a long time."

"Yeah, like the last five minutes!"

"…More like five months; the children need to go visit their family…" Neal said innocently.

"_Sure_." Dom said sarcastically while Kel rolled her eyes at their antics and headed across the room to talk to Yuki,

"You don't believe me!"

"I said sure…"

"You were patronizing me…"

"I was not…"

"Prove it then…"

"I don't have to prove anything to you…" Dom said turning his nose up at his cousin.

"Because you _can't_…"

"Can too!" Dom exclaimed childishly "How about you prove that I was patronizing you…" Neal gaped at his cousin.

"I asked you first!"

"But if you're so sure you're right you shouldn't have a problem with proving your side first…" Dom said with a grin.

"I hate you."

"Tsk, tsk, Meathead, I'm telling Kel…" Dom said before turning to his wife. "He said he hates me!" Kel rolled her eyes at the pair.

"Yuki and I are trying to have an _intelligent _conversation. If you two want to fight go do it on the practice courts. At least then you'll get some sparring practice." Kel answered without looking over. Dom mock-sighed and Kel burst into laughter and the look on his face. Neal shook his head at them muttering about a lack of appreciation for his superior arguing skill.

**A/N Review! **


	8. Friends, Flashbacks and Food

**A/N I'm sorry about the wait everybody, but I was busy with finals, and AP testing, and now I'm on vacation but even so I actually have time to update…finally. So, updates should become more frequent, most likely at around one per week. However…I'm not exactly sure how her family should react…anyone have suggestions? I've been freaking out about that, lol, because I don't really know how to write their characters well. **

**Thanks to all reviewers! **

**Disclaimer: Angelica does not own the characters; the wonderful author Tamora Pierce retains all rights**

"Do we have to wait for Meathead?" Dom questioned Kel pleadingly. She rolled her eyes at him before grinning.

"Yes, we do have to wait for Neal, unless of course, you'd like to take care of Genevieve and James for Yuki, since Neal wouldn't be with us?"

"Umm…" Dom said thinking briefly of his cousin's kids who had screamed loudly through the entire night before shaking his head vigorously. "No, that's okay, let's wait for Neal."

"I thought you'd say that" Kel answered mounting Peachblossom. Neal finally graced them with his presence ten minutes later, arriving only to have his wife ask him in a voice of carefully controlled rage where in Mithros' name were their kids? Dom practically fell out of the saddle because he was laughing so hard, and Neal's eyes widened and he turned around sprinting back to his and Yuki's rooms to get his kids whom he had forgotten. By the time Neal got back with a screaming James on one side and a happy Genevieve who was pulling his hair, the sun was almost up.

"You've wasted time." Yuki reprimanded taking the screaming James from Neal and calming him down in a second before putting him in the special seat that had been affixed to her horse to hold him Neal gladly did the same with Genevieve after he finally managed to pull her from his hair. Yuki glared at her husband until he looked properly abashed and muttered an apology. Dom laughed and informed his cousin that he was whipped and Kel had interrupted by informing her husband that he had better leave Neal alone as they had already wasted valuable time. The blue-eyed sergeant had rolled his eyes before agreeing to leave his cousin alone for now and asking whether they were going to Masbolle or Mindelan first.

"Masbolle." Kel answered grinning at Dom's groan.

"Afraid my dear Aunt and Uncle aren't going to be very happy with their youngest?" Neal asked his cousin green eyes twinkling in amusement.

"…Of course not, Meathead…" Dom said before swallowing apprehensively. "They won't be mad…"

"_Riiiiiiiiight_. I seem to recall my dear Aunt telling you at the wedding 'Domitian you're to come straight to Masbolle and tell me as soon as Kel gets pregnant with your first child', don't you recall?"

"Uh…no."

"I remember it." Kel answered brightly.

"You two are getting way too much joy out of this."

"Do you think we're having too much fun, Neal?"

"No, I think we're having just enough fun, wouldn't you agree, lady knight?"

"I would happen to agree, what do you think Yuki?"

"I, of course, share your sentiments."

"Everyone's against me." Dom said with a mock scowl.

"I could never be against you." Kel answered jokingly batting her eyelashes at her husband.

"Alas, I fear you've turned on me for…for…the evilest of all creatures…Sir Meathead!" Dom replied dramatically. Neal rolled his eyes and scowled at his cousin.

"There you go again with that cursed name."

"Aww, don't be mad, Meathead, it's just my affectionate nickname for you…" Dom replied eyes twinkling amusedly.

"Uh-huh." Neal muttered before groaning as Genevieve who had fallen asleep woke up and started crying loudly. "Why do you hate your daddy so much?" Neal questioned the infant who just looked at him quizzically and continued to wail.

"I think we should probably stop for lunch as Gen doesn't seem too thrilled." Yuki suggested.

"Sure, there's a clearing a short walk from here." Kel offered thoughtfully before dismounting and taking Peachblossom's reins in her hands. "Come one let's go." She continued gesturing for the rest of them to dismount.

They reached the clearing within ten minutes. The particular pasture style clearing was approximately twenty feet long by fifteen feet wide, various types of wildflowers grew throughout it and trees encircled the outside of it. Few people knew of its existence which was just as well. Kel and Dom had come across it when they'd been dating for a year and were going up to Mindelan so that he could meet her parents. They had left after dinner that night and it was pitch black outside and pouring rain by the time they came with in half a mile of the forest. A group of bandits had attacked them and Dom had gotten shot in the shoulder by one of their arrows.

_Flashback_

_Kel squinted and blinked rapidly attempting to discern Dom's shape amongst the bandits. She spotted the sergeant fighting with two bandits who were armed with two daggers apiece. The lady knight scowled at this and strung her bow letting an arrow fly. It hit one of the bandits fighting Dom straight in the chest. Dom grinned at her appreciatively before turning back to the second bandit. _

_Kel turned around just in time to see a third swinging a sword toward her and she was tempted to laugh at his bad fighting stance but refrained from doing so and instead dodged the sword and kicked his legs out from under him. He fell to the ground with a noticeable thud and when he stood back up she was ready for him sword in hand, she hadn't brought her glaive as the trip was to be a short one and she hadn't expected this. _

_By the time Kel defeated the bandit and turned to face Dom the sergeant had been surrounded by three bandits. Just as she was about to walk across the ten feet that separated her and Dom two more bandits jumped down from a tree overhead and Kel was forced to divert her attention from Dom to the other bandits._

_ Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dom take down one of his three and Kel sighed in relief before spinning out of the way of a dagger that had come an inch from her chest. Sighing Kel ran her sword through the first of the bandits and turned back to the second. Judging by the thud she heard behind her Dom had taken down a second bandit. _

_The second of the thieves seemed to decide that they had no interest in fighting Dom and turned and ran back into the forest. Kel shook her head wryly as Dom grinned at her and strung an arrow taking down the last of Kel's attackers who was seconds away from stabbing the lady knight. "I think that was the last of them." Dom mused just as the arrow hit him. _

_Kel let out an involuntary scream upon seeing Dom slump to the forest floor with an arrow sticking out of him. She swiveled around and spotted the last of the thieves sitting in a tree with his bow and arrows in hand. Kel glared up at him and aimed a griffin fletched arrow toward him. She was beside Dom the moment the last bandit fell from the tree and crashed to the forest floor. "It seems I forgot one." Dom joked and Kel scowled at him. _

"_You could've died." The lady knight answered helping the sergeant to his feet. "C'mon we need to stop and make camp and get that bandaged. It had not stopped raining and Dom was looking paler despite his attempts at humor. Kel whistled to Peachblossom who immediately trotted ahead of her into the forest. Grabbing Dom's horse by the reins Kel followed Peachblossom into the forest with Dom leaning on her for support. Peachblossom had found the clearing which was situated fifty feet into the forest and Kel was forever grateful for that because had the horse not come across it when he did Dom most likely would've lost consciousness and Kel wasn't sure that she would be able to get him safely to a campsite if he did. _

_End Flashback_

After that the clearing had become their place, they'd often stop there when they had time off from work and have picnics or camp out. Dom had proposed to her there.

"Nobel for your thoughts?" Dom's voice asked drawing Kel from her musings and then she very eloquently responded 'Huh?' and Dom grinned her in amusement and asked her what had so enraptured the Protector of the Small.

"…Oh…I was just thinking about the night we found this place." Kel answered. "And don't call me that." She added as an afterthought.

"As you wish my dear lady knight." Dom responded cheekily with a mock bow. Kel glared at him and he grinned back.

"If you two are done with your childish arguments Yuki made lunch…" Neal called over pulling them from their antics. Dom snorted and Kel grinned at her husband before turning to her best friend.

"You're one to talk considering you'd argue about what color tunic I was wearing the night Dom and I started going out."

"That was a valid argument!" Neal exclaimed.

"…How?"

"Well…you thought it was blue and really it was green!"

"And that matters because?"

"…it just does…"

"Oh that'll convince her, Meathead." Dom cut in. Neal just glared at his cousin in response before sitting down on a log and picking up James.

**A/N I am so, so, so, so, so, sorry. It's just well, I've had really bad writer's block and this chapter alone took me over a month to write I started trying to write it in June and it's taken me until now to figure out what should happen in the rest of the chapter, and also I think my humor muse has died. Lol. Review. **


	9. This Means War

**A/N I'm so sorry. I have reasons some of which include the fact that my house flooded and the computer was down there so I had to wait to get it up and running again, as well as the fact that I go to my Dad's every other weekend (I'm supposed to be there now, actually, but I'm not) and whilst there I have not internet access. Also, I do hmwrk till eleven every night. Also I had parts of this prewritten and I couldn't find the spiral I wrote it in for like a week and a half. But still it's not fair to make you wait that long so I'm sorry.**

**Thanks for all the reviews everyone, I love hearing from everyone!**

**Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to stardust718 for the suggestion of Dom pranking Neal, and Mrs. Dom of Masbolle for her suggestions especially about Dom and Kel sitting down and talking about how they're going to be parents, and also to lady knight keladry for reminding me to get off my butt and update.**

**Disclaimer: I own nada, zip, zero, zilch, goose egg.**

Keladry of Mindelan and Masbolle smiled in her sleep feeling the warmth of arms wrapped around her waist. Half-awake the lady knight rolled over to face her husband of a year and half. Opening her eyes she found that the blue-eyed sergeant was grinning at her having evidently been watching her sleep. Kel stretched and yawned before sitting up, it was just before dawn.

"Good morning, Protector." Dom said, now sitting cross-legged on their bedroll. Kel grinned back at him and leaned forward to give him a quick kiss in response. They sat their silently for a few moments enjoying the silence of the early morning as well as the alone time.

"You know in six months we're going to be parents…" Kel mused slowly pushing a mahogany brown colored chunk of bangs out of her hazel eyes. Dom gave her a thoughtful look and considered the statement.

"We are," He started off by stating the obvious. "We're going to have little boys or girls or both with your hair and my eyes and your eyes and my nose." Dom continued his eyes shimmering and a soft smile upon his face. Kel sighed contentedly and leaned against the sergeant.

"Or my eyes and you hair…" She mused offhandedly. Dom smiled crookedly and looked down at the lady knight.

"And my love of teasing Meathead, they had better get that one…" He replied a broad smirk stretching across his face and a slightly evil look was prominent on his features. His wife narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

"You didn't do anything did you, Dom?"

"I do lots of things…" Dom answered evasively.

"_Dom._" Kel said exasperatedly. "Did you do something to Neal?"

"When? I've done many things to my dear cousin Meathead over the years…not that he didn't provoke me first of course…" Dom answered the smirk growing even (if it were possible) wider as his thoughts turned to the (many) successful pranks he had managed to pull on his cousin. Kel raised an eyebrow at him before responding.

"As in have you done anything to Neal in the last twenty-four hours?"

"Excluding when I gave him the wrong directions to the creek last night and he ended up getting lost for an hour and a half?" Dom questioned.

"Yes."

"What about when I put the bug in his dinner?"

"You put a bug in his dinner?!"

"Uh, no, of course not, wherever would you get an idea like that, my dear Protector?" Dom asked backtracking swiftly.

"Don't call me that." Kel said automatically. Dom grinned triumphantly; success, he had mislead her!

"Of course." Dom answered quickly intent upon making her forget the subject.

"Don't think you've gotten me off topic, Domitian." Kel informed her husband through narrowed eyes. Dom looked at her with wide innocent blue eyes.

"Why would I do something to my favorite cousin?" Dom started looking at her confusedly. "In fact I'm horrified you could even suggest such a thing." The sergeant finished by clutching his heart as though he were mortally wounded and Kel mused briefly that if the whole Kings Own thing hadn't worked out he could have joined an acting troupe. The overall effect of Dom's performance was somewhat marred by the sound of screaming coming from outside their tent. Kel rolled her eyes at her sapphire eyed husband before quickly pulling on a tunic and breeches and heading outside their tent to look for the source of the commotion.

She was greeted by the sight of Yuki standing with the twins in her arms watching amusedly as Neal bellowed down at them.

"Why, my dear cousin, what happened?" Dom questioned innocently coming up behind Kel and wrapping his arms around her middle. Neal scowled down at his cousin from where he was trapped several feet above them upside down; his foot caught in a rope trap of some sort.

"You know very well what happened!" Neal exclaimed narrowing his eyes and glaring at his cousin, although it admittedly didn't have its full effect due to the fact that Dom was practically having spasms from laughing so hard.

Finally managing to get a hold of himself Dom continued, "Nope, I have absolutely no idea how you got yourself caught in that obviously expertly laid trap." The sergeant finished.

"Actually I think it's rather amateur." Kel said her eyes twinkling as her husband huffed indignantly.

"I think it's a very fine quality work and…" Dom started only to be interrupted by Neal.

"Domitian of Masbolle!" The knight snapped glaring down at his cousin. "You seem to have forgotten that we're going to see my dear aunt and uncle, I truly don't think Auntie will be terribly pleased to hear that you've been trapping me upside down in trees." Neal said green eyes glittering evilly.

"And yet, I continue to have absolutely no clue how you managed to get yourself caught up there but I'm guessing you did something Meathead-like." Dom responded flashing his cousin his biggest and most mischievous grin. Neal let out a groan of frustration and looked at his best friend pleadingly. Kel sighed and shifted in Dom's hold so that she was face-to-face with him.

"Let him down, we need to get moving if we're going to reach Mindelan by nightfall." Kel said in answer to her friend's silent plea. Dom smiled and kissed Kel gently and released her before walking around to the back of the tree and climbing up to the branch where the rope was attached. Dom cut the rope free and lowered it slowly so that his cousin did not fall ten feet to the ground but rather hit it with a soft thump from a hands length away from the forest floor. Neal gave his cousin a final glare and untangled himself from the net. This. Meant. War.

**A/N Again, I'm sorry everyone. But please continue to review. I swear it'll be faster, it's my mom's weekend this upcoming one so I'll update again next Friday. **


	10. UhOh

**A/N I am so, so, so, so, so sorry for the wait. You see the original for this chapter is currently in Florida with my Grandma and I've been entirely too lazy to rewrite it until now and so I have consequently not updated.  
Thanks so much to all my reviewers! I am completely and totally thrilled by the amount of reviews I've been getting! ******

**Dedication: To ****vanir finiarel and Lady Knight Keladry for pm-ing me about my long gap in between updates. If not for them I probably still would not have updated and as it is I still took ages. A special thanks to them for their encouragement. **

**Disclaimer: I own nada! **

"Could the two of you kindly cease speaking?" Kel asked in an exasperated tone drawing Peachblossom to a halt and turning around to face Dom and Neal. Both men, who had faced Scanrans, death mages, killing machines, spideren, and countless other monsters with hardly a moments hesitation, cowered under the heated glare of the lady knight.

Both Dom and Neal had been engaged in a ceaseless prank war since they had left the clearing. So far, Dom had managed to catch Neal in a net, put poison ivy in his sleeping bag [much to Neal's dismay (and Dom's amusement) he was currently covered in an assortment of itchy red bumps, and finally managed to put a night dress of Kel's on him, (she wasn't overly fond of the gown and so didn't get too mad about it. But when had Kel ever been fond of a dress? She would've worn breeches to their wedding if she could've gotten away with it.)

Neal hadn't been innocent in the stunts either. He had pulled off several quite impressive (if he did say so himself) pranks. Which included: waiting until Dom fell asleep and putting make up on his face with Yuki's face paint, using his Gift to expand a pair of Yuki's high heels until they fit Dom's feet and binding them on (Dom still hadn't managed to get them off, and Kel and Yuki had been unable to get Neal to do so, not that they'd tried very hard), not even Dom's repeated threats on his life could get him to detach the silver heels. Neal was looking forward to spreading the story of Dom in sparkly silver high heels throughout the entire King's Own.

Currently, their pranks were beginning to grate on the lady knight's nerves. One person could only take so much immaturity before said person cracked. And the lady knight, had just about reached her limit. Seeming to sense this, the two cousins immediately ceased their bickering their mouths shutting with an audible click. Kel allowed a small smile before she turned Peachblossom forward once more. Peachblossom angrily huffed at the cousins before allowing his rider to turn him forward.

They traveled in relative silence for the next hour or so, if you excluded the muffled sounds of childish bickering coming from the rear of the group, the occasional wail of Genevieve or James, and the quiet tones of Yuki and Kel as they conversed with each other seemingly ignoring their rapidly devolving spouses. Their progress was brought to an abrupt halt soon enough when Kel abruptly stopped Peachblossom once more.

Dom and Neal exchanged nervous glances thinking that the lady knight was about to begin lecturing them again when Kel seemed to sway slightly in the saddle. It was so small a movement that only the most trained of eyes would notice it for what it was.

"Kel?" Neal asked drawing his own horse to a halt as close to Peachblossom as he dared.

"Huh?" She asked after a pause during which she swayed once more this time it was noticeable to both Dom and Yuki.

"Are you okay?" Neal queried eyeing his friend with concern.

"'M fine." Kel replied even as her face turned ashen and she swayed dangerously to the left so that she was in danger of falling out of the saddle. Fortunately, at the same moment Neal jumped from his own horse and grabbed her around the waist pulling her off Peachblossom.

Neal was aware that Dom had dismounted his own mare and was kneeling on Kel's other side looking frantic. Yuki hurriedly got the twins out of their carrier and brought them over to where the others were.

"What's wrong with her?!" Dom demanded frantically. Neal made no reply, his fingers were glowing a sparkling emerald and he was in the process of scanning his friend for any problems.

"Exhaustion." Neal said finally. "Coupled with this heat it caused her to pass out." It had been an unusually warm day and after three days hard travel it was enough to make any one tired, but considering Kel's state it was considerably more likely and dangerous.

"She'll be fine?" Dom asked now holding tightly to her hand.

"Yes. She'll be fine. The babies will too." Neal added before his cousin could ask. "Now let's set up camp, she needs to rest, we'll continue in the morning. She should be fine by then." And sure enough by the time they had made camp and gotten Kel into the tent she shared with Dom she had begun to stir.

"What happened?" Kel asked Dom after blinking her hazel eyes several time sin an attempt to recall what had occurred.

"You passed out." Dom answered softly eyeing her as though terrified that she would collapse again at any moment. "Neal's brewing you some tea." He added after a moment's pause.

"Healer tea is disgusting." Kel said wrinkling her nose up.

"Yes, yes, I know your opinions on my tea," Neal interrupted entering the tent with said beverage. "Drink up." He ordered handing it to her. She glared down at it for a moment before gingerly taking a sip.

"If you told us you needed to stop you wouldn't have to be drinking that right now," Neal said reproachfully. And, Kel sensing a lecture coming on turned pleading eyes on her husband. He ignored her.

"You scared me." Was Dom's response.

"I'm sorry," Kel replied. "I was just a little dizzy, but I didn't think anything of it at first and then…" She trailed off abruptly. "The babies are fine, right Neal?" She asked anxiously.

"Yes, they're perfectly fine." Neal replied and Kel smiled looking relieved. At this moment a cry sounded from outside the tent followed by another one this one slightly lower pitched indicating that James had decided to follow his sister's example by screaming his head off. "That's my cue," He said wryly before exiting the tent and leaving Dom and Kel alone.

"Are you mad?" Kel asked after a pause.

"I could never be mad at you." Dom replied stroking her hair contentedly. "Change of plans, we're going to head to Mindelan first." He informed her. "But we're not setting out again until tomorrow, you need rest." The sergeant added in a stern tone. Kel's only response was to yawn and snuggle up against his chest. Dom hummed softly to her as she drifted off to sleep.

**A/N Again, I am so, so, so sorry about the wait. I swear I'll update faster next time. I have school off tomorrow, I'll start working on the next chapter then. (Or rather today because it is 2:22am! lol!) I swear. Review.**


	11. Arriving at Mindelan

**A/N Hello, peoples, I've returned with an update. **

**Thanks to all reviewers.**

**Dedication: To rowanHOODoftheROWANwood, and PuppyBekaCooper I am so sorry for your loss. **

**Disclaimer: I own nada.**

"And where do you think you're going?" Domitian of Masbolle inquired in a tone of equal parts amusement and incredulity.

"To saddle up Peachblossom?" Kel replied looking at her husband as though she was rather fearful for his sanity, considering the fact that she had Peachblossom's saddle in her hands she would've thought it fairly obvious.

"_That_ much I got. My question is why exactly you think I'm going to allow you to get on the back of that…"

"Demon? Monster? Devil?" Neal interrupted offering what he thought to be helpful suggestions. Kel scowled at him.

"Horse." Dom said finally. "And ride to Mindelan after you _just_ fainted." Kel blinked at him for a moment trying to ascertain where he was going with this.

"Dom, how exactly do you think I'm going to get to Mindelan if you're not going to allow me to ride my horse?" Kel asked.

"You're riding with me." Dom replied.

"…I am more then capable of…" Kel trailed off abruptly turning a noticeable shade of green, before she turned and dashed toward some nearby bushes. Dom hurriedly followed after her, dropping to a squat behind her and rubbing soothing circles on her back. After a few minutes Kel sunk back onto her heels and glared at her husband, despite her annoyance with him she accepted the water he offered her.

"Are you okay?" Dom queried after she had taken several sips of the water.

"I'm fine." Kel replied firmly, despite her words she looked paler then normal. Dom sighed and stood up before offering a hand down to her to help her up.

"I'll get Neal to make you some tea." Dom answered completely ignoring her words.

"No…I'm fine, really, and…I've had quite enough of Neal's teas…if you could even call them that."

"I'm quite offended by your assessment of my tea, my dearest Kel." Neal murmured sounding amused as he ambled over to them holding Genevieve in one arm.

"Would you willingly drink one of your teas?" Kel questioned with a scowl.

"…I'm choosing not to dignify that with a response…" Neal replied. "Now drink this," He finished holding out a cup of tea to Kel. She took it from him reluctantly after several pointed looks from both her husband and her friend. Despite it's vile taste the tea settled her stomach enough that she didn't feel as though she was about to hurl.

"All right let's go, I want to reach Mindelan by nightfall." Kel said upon finishing her tea.

"After you my dearest Protector of the Small," Dom said waving her in the direction of his large gelding. "Get on." He invited.

"I still don't get why I can't ride on my own horse." Kel murmured halfheartedly as she swung herself onto the back of his horse.

"Well, if your horse didn't hate me then we could ride on your horse, but as he does it's a moot point."

"You know, that wasn't really the point, the point was why can't I ride on my own, not what horse should we ride on." Kel muttered.

"You can't ride on your own because you almost fell off your horse last time, and you aren't recovered enough for that long of a ride on your own." Dom answered swinging himself into the saddle behind his wife. Meanwhile Neal was settling Genevieve into the special carrier on his saddle for her, whilst Yuki did the same for James.

"Ready, Meathead?" Dom queried. Neal ignored his cousin refusing to dignify him with a response. The four of them set out after a moment, riding in silence for the majority of the afternoon and night. It was half past eight at night when they reached Mindelan. They were greeted at the gate by two guards dressed in the Mindelan colors.

"Who goes there?" The first man queried.

"Sergeant Domitian of Masbolle, Sir Nealan of Queenscove, Lady Yukimi of Queenscove, and Lady Knight Keladry of Masbolle." Dom answered without pause. The two guards bowed to the four nobles and hurriedly opened the gates to allow them entrance.

"Welcome home, Lady Knight." One told Kel with a smile as she rode past with Dom. Kel directed them to the stables where they handed their horses over to the horse grooms.  
"Kel?" Kel spun around at the sound of the voice she hadn't heard in months.

"Anders!" She exclaimed allowing her oldest brother to sweep her up in a hug. "I haven't seen you since the wedding."

"It's been too long, little sister." Anders said. "How have you been?"

"Good, very good in fact, Dom and I have news for everyone, but I'll tell you about that later, I want to tell everyone at once." Kel replied. "And, how've you been?"

"I've been good, but what I'm curious about is what your news is." Anders replied looking at her searchingly as though the news was going to jump out at him. When she showed no signs of budging and revealing his news to her he turned to Dom, Neal, and Yuki. "Hello, Neal, Dom, Lady Yuki." Anders greeted shaking hands with the two men and kissing the back of Yuki's hand. After the five exchanged pleasantries for a few moments Anders led the way up to the castle.

**A/N Review. I would've made it longer but I want to put the announcement of the news in the next chapter.**


	12. Sharing the News

**A/N I have two hundred reviews!! Thanks so much to all of my wonderful reviewers.**

**Dedication: To Mrs. Dom Masbolle, my two hundredth reviewer, I hope your ACT went well. **

"Who's home right now?" Kel questioned her eldest brother as they walked toward the castle.

"You're in luck almost everyone is here to hear your big news," Anders said and paused to see if she would give in and tell him her news, when she didn't reply he sighed and continued. "Inness is home, he got a brief leave from the King before he goes north for three months, Conal's home as well, and so is Demadry, she's pregnant again and Gelvan didn't want to leave her alone when he left on border patrol, Patricia, Oranie, and Adalia are here as well, they came to help Demadry as she's at eight months and mostly confined to her bed. However, Avinar is in Carthak still." Anders explained.

"Oh…good." Kel replied gearing up to tell everyone her news. They had reached the castle at this point and headed into the front hall.

"Kel!" She barely had time to register the person's presence before she was enveloped into a hug.

"Hello." Kel said still slightly shocked by the sudden greeting. Baron Piers of Mindelan returned the greeting before questioning his daughter on her sudden arrival.

"I didn't know you were coming, Kel. Did the King give you leave as well?" He asked referring to the fact that Inness was now home for a brief amount of time before he goes north.

"She's come to tell us some big news." Anders replied. Piers lifted a questioning eyebrow at his daughter. Kel scowled at her brother in reply while Piers turned to the others who had come with Kel.

"Domitan, Nealan, Yukimi, welcome!" He said enthusiastically. "I haven't seen any of you since the wedding; I hope you're planning to stay for at least a few days." The three briefly exchanged greetings with the baron before he led the way to the dining hall. "It's about time for dinner," He explained.

"The others should be down soon." Anders added. "And, you, my sister, can tell us your big news once they get down here." Kel nodded in reply and followed her father into the dining hall. Her Mother was already in the room talking to Oranie about something or other.

"Kel!" The two women said simultaneously. She allowed herself to be hugged by the two before greeting them.

"How have you been?" Kel questioned her mother and sister.

"We've been fine." Ilane of Mindelan answered. "What I want to know is how you've been, I haven't seen you in ages."

"I've been great, in fact Dom and I have some news to share with you, but we'll save that for after dinner." Kel replied. Once her daughter had responded Ilane moved on to greeting the others. She hugged all three in greeting and paused at Neal.

"Do you know what this big news is, Nealan?" She asked in a whisper. Ilane knew her daughter's best friend was the weakest link in terms of keeping secrets.

"Yes," He answered. "But, alas, I've been sworn to secrecy, and I'm in no mood to have my head bashed in by an angry Kel." Neal replied in a sorrowful tone.

"Eh, she wouldn't bash your head in, Meathead," Dom began.

"I would do something much worse." Kel finished her husband's sentence with a dangerous glint in her eye. Neal swallowed apprehensively.

"It looks like you're going to have to wait for her to tell you." The healer informed the baroness. The sound of voices echoed from the hallway outside and the room was soon flooded with people. All of Kel's siblings who were home had entered the room even Demadry had come; Inness helped her into a chair as soon as they came in. They had yet to notice Kel's presence. Demadry was the first to notice her younger sister's presence.

"Kel, I didn't know you were coming," She said by way of greeting. The others turned abruptly hearing Demadry's greeting.

"Kel!" With that the lady knight was once more swept up into several hugs. There were some many different conversations going on at once that it was impossible to make out what everyone was saying. However, the siblings soon finished their greetings and took their seats. Kel was seated with Dom to her left and Neal to her right, Yuki was on Neal's other side. The baron and baroness each sat at one end of the table, and the others seated themselves in the spots that remained. They talked amongst themselves recounting events that had occurred since they had last seen each other until several servants came in with the meal. Kel decided that she would wait until after dinner to tell her news to everyone and so idle conversation reigned throughout the meal. They were soon finished eating, and the eyes of all those who new Kel was there to tell them some news fixed upon the lady knight.

"So, what's this big news, Kel?" Anders questioned voicing what everyone was thinking.

"Well," Kel started. "I'm pregnant," She answered. "Dom and I are having triplets." The noise in the room increased tenfold.

**A/N My uncle just came in the room to tell me my lizard died. So, I'm ending the chapter here because I'm no longer in the mood to write anything happy.**


	13. Familial Responses

**A/N Hello, people's I've finally found the time to update in between essays, not feeling like writing, and, AP testing. **

**Thanks to All reviewers!**

**Dedication: I would like to thank all my reviewers for their understanding about my not wanting to update for a while because I wasn't in a particularly humorous mood, anyway, a special thank you to megchelle, Readerfreak10, Empress of Pudding, XxtomoyoXchan93xX, Rapidashaponyta, xxTunstall Chickxx, Reader of too many books, do I need a pen name, Lady Knight Keladry, Mrs. Dom Masbolle, inktongue58, Sea-Aggie, Lady Leopard, stardust718, Katty008, :'(, Bradhadair fire starter, dares to dream, and Magemaster, all of whom said something about my lizard, Jet.**

**Disclaimer: I no own.**

It was difficult to discern everyone's response; however, Kel did manage to identify several answers to her news, which included:

"When are they due?" Kel was pretty sure that was Oranie. It was hard to tell though seeing as everyone was talking at once.

"Triplets? Really?" Patricia questioned in a shocked tone.

"Congratulations, Kel." That was Inness.

"I was beginning to worry that I wasn't going to get any grandchildren from you." Ilane commented after congratulating her daughter and son-in-law.

"Do you know what they are yet?" Adalia asked excitedly.

"Oh, Kel, this will be great, our kids are going to be so close in age!" Demadry said excitedly from where she sat.

"Shush, how's she going to answer any of your questions if you don't let her respond?" Anders asked, Kel knew there was a reason she liked Anders so much. Kel gave her oldest brother a grateful smile before responding to the questions she had been able to discern.

"I'm about two months along, so they'll be due somewhere around Midwinter." Kel said answering what she thought was Oranie's question first. "Yes, I'm really having triplets," She said in reply to Patricia. "And, no, we don't know what they are yet, it's too soon." Kel informed Adalia. "When will we be able to tell?" She addressed Neal this time.

"Usually it's possible to tell at between sixteen to twenty weeks (1)." Neal responded promptly.

"How long are you going to stay here? You must stay at least a week, the girls and I can help prepare you." Ilane questioned.

"Well, we may be able to squeeze in a week; I'm not sure if we even have that much time." Kel paused. "When do you have to be back, Dom?"

"In about two weeks, and we'll need at least two or three days to get back to Corus. But, Kel, if you want you can stay here after we go to Masbolle. After all, we'll pass up Mindelan again on the way back to the palace." Dom replied. Kel glared at him.

"No, I'm coming back with you." Kel replied firmly. "We can probably manage like five days here, and then one day to get to Masbolle, five days there, and then we have three days to get back to Corus." Kel said mentally calculating their time frame.

"How's your morning sickness?" Demadry questioned her sister. "Mine wasn't too bad this time, but then this is my third pregnancy."

"It's…well, I'm not really sure what's considered bad." Kel trailed off. "If bad is throwing up multiple times every day, then it's pretty bad. Neal's teas don't even work half the time."

"Leave my teas out of it." Neal protested.

Seeing that the women were a few moment's away from getting into serious pregnancy talk, Kel's male family members excused themselves after stopping to congratulate Kel and Dom once more. Even Conal seemed happy for them. Piers gave his daughter a hug and shook Dom's hand before leaving the dining room. Kel and Yuki nodded to their husbands allowing them to follow the others out.

"What are you having?" Kel asked her sister.

"A girl." Demadry replied with a smile. "Our second one."

"Do you have a name yet?" Kel asked.

"Ileana." Demadry said with a nod.

"What about you, Kel, have you and Dom thought of any names yet?"

"We like Dominica, Arianna, and Michaela for girls, and David, Adam, and Matthew for boys, if you have any other suggestions though, I could bring them up to Dom, we haven't exactly set them in stone yet considering we don't even know what we're having yet (2)." Kel responded.

"Those are lovely names, dear." Ilane responded.

"Did you notice they spell M.A.D.?" Oranie questioned.

"Erm, no…" Kel responded.

From here the conversation moved to other baby related things, which included a discussion of Yuki's twins.

"How are James and Genevieve?" Ilane questioned the Yamani. "Are they sleeping through the night?"

"James usually does, Gene is a lot like Neal, never wants to miss anything, it's a pain trying to get her to sleep ever night." Yuki responded a slight smile slipping through her Yamani mask as she thought of her children.

"Yuki usually delagates putting Genevieve to sleep to Neal, anyway." Kel broke in.

"How old are they now?" Patricia asked.

"Six months." Yuki replied. The coversation continued for another hour or so before Ilane declared that Yuki and Kel needed to rest considering their long ride to Mindelan. Kel smiled gratefully at her Mother and agreed.

**A/N Yes, yes, I know it's painfully short, but I just wrote this chapter quickly so I can bring up the following things:**

**(1)- Information for when it's possible to tell gender is from BabyCenter…I'm not sure how accurate it is though.**

**(2)- I'm not sure how much I like the names anymore…so, if anyone has any suggestions feel free to leave them in the review these are possible suggestions that are up for vote although you may suggest other names:**

**Girls:**

**A. Arianna (I'm still partial to this one.)**

**B. Dominica (Because then her nickname can be Minnie.)**

**C. Michaela (Which is the one I'm not sure if I still want.)**

**D. Isabella (My God is a vow)**

**E. Adrianna (means From Hadria…)**

**F. Alessandria (Means 'defending men')**

**G. Mirabella (Lovely; wondrous)**

**H. Vittorria (Conqueror, Victory)**

**I. Gemma (Jewel)**

**J. Kelsey (Cuz the genie, said so, and it's after Kel, kind of)**

**K. Other**

**Boy's Names**

**A. Adam (Earth)**

**B. Michael (Who is like God)**

**C. David (Beloved)**

**D. Edward (Wealth Protector)**

**E. Nicolas (Victory of the people)**

**F. Timmothy (To Honor God, To fear God)**

**G. Jason (Because I finally found the name generator genie, I put in Masbolle as last name even though it's technically not a last name, it's the closest they have, and it came up with Jason for a boy.)**

**H. Carl (Also suggested by the genie, who is starting to get annoyed with me btw.)**

**I. Todd (Genie suggested it, too.)**

**J. Daniel (Genieeeeeeeeee)**

**K. Other**

**(3) Now, let's due the gender picking poll, shall we? I was first going to do either three boys or three girls, so that it could be entirely blamed on Dom, but, Eh, what the hey, I can make up some relative of Kel's if need be who had multiple births. **

**So, the options are:**

**Girl, Girl, Girl**

**Boy, Boy, Boy**

**Girl, Boy, Girl**

**Boy, Girl, Boy**

**(4) The current names spell M.A.D. which I just noticed, I don't think it's a particuraly good omen when your children's intials spell Mutually Assured Destruction...roflmao.**

**Hurry up and send in your votes, updates will be much faster as I am essentially doing nothing in class, and school ends on June 6****th****. I shall write the next chappie as soon as everything is decided. Anyway, review!**


	14. Arriving at Masbolle

**A/N This chapter is brought to you by supreme happiness over my amount of reviews, and my lack of enthusiasm for studying for finals.**

**Thanks to all Reviewers!**

**Dedication: Denison, my newest reader, thanks so much for reviewing. **

**Disclaimer: An-Jelly-Ca owns nada well except Dom's family as she did make them up. **

Their time at Mindelan was drawing to a close; they had been at Kel's familial home for four days and were planning to leave the next morning. Kel found herself almost wanting to stay, she had forgotten how much she liked being at Mindelan surrounded by her family. Of course, she didn't like it nearly so much as she liked being at the Palace surrounded by all of her friends and listening to the constant parade of news from Tortall and beyond.

Kel's parents had promised to come to Corus to visit her soon, and Demadry had agreed to bring her daughter to visit Kel once she was old enough to travel that far. Kel had agreed and Demadry had promised to stay for at least a few weeks so that they could catch up.

The party set out the next morning admits loud calls of goodbye from Kel's relatives who continued to wave at them until they were out of sight. They proceeded quietly for the most part as they were all rather tired, so much so, that Dom and Neal didn't even prank each other…much.

Sadly, the silence was not long lived.

"So, how do you think Auntie will feel when she finds out you didn't tell her about the triplets?" Neal asked gleefully. Dom ignored him with a scowl. "I'd imagine she'd be pretty upset, seeing as these are her first grandchildren…"

"Don't remind me." Dom said turning a shade paler and fidgeting nervously in the saddle.

"I'm sure it will be fine, Dom." Kel told her husband reassuringly.

"She's going to kill me…" Dom muttered more to himself then to any of his traveling companions. Neal grinned gleefully in response to Dom's fears.

"I assure you, she won't kill you; she needs you alive." Neal said finally.

"Not any more…she's got her choice of three grandchildren to replace me if I die." Dom said with a wail.

"Relax; I'm sure she won't kill her dearest youngest son." Kel said reassuringly. "Besides, your mother is a very nice woman, there's no reason she'd get mad at you."

"That's what she wants you to think!" Dom said obstinately.

On and on it went until they finally reached Masbolle a day later…

"Dommie, my darling, I'm so glad you've come to visit." Duchess Camilla of Masbolle said embracing her youngest son, who flushed bright red. Neal snickered at the nickname causing Dom to glare at him over his mother's shoulder. However, Neal was soon to regret his premature laughter when he too became the victim of his aunt's enthusiasm. After sufficiently embarrassing her son and nephew the duchess moved onto embracing her daughter-in-law and her nephew's wife or niece-in-law if such a thing even existed.

"Kel, you look positively radiant." The duchess commented smiling brightly at her daughter-in-law. "So, Domitan, what is this news you've come to tell me?" She questioned as she directed several servants to take the party's luggage and bring it to the rooms she had set up for them.

Dom was saved from answering his mother by the sound of a loud greeting from several yards away. "Dom!" The sergeant found himself enveloped in a hug by a blonde blur.

"Hello, Salina." He said dryly. Dom was one of five children: he had two older brothers, Davlon and Douglas, an older sister, Sonia, and a little sister, Salina. His older sister Sonia was married to Sir Stigand of Fenrigh, whose younger brother Emmet was in the King's Own. Salina was sixteen and as of now unwed, Dom had it on good authority, (long, ranting letters from Salina complaining about her suitors), that a betrothal was in the works. Douglas was currently unmarried and therefore subject to their mother's chidings for him to settle down with a nice young lady. Davlon had married Lady Marie of Rosemark three years ago, but the two of them had yet to have any kids.

"You're in luck," Salina started grinning wickedly at her youngest-older brother. "Everyone's is home to here your news. Sonia is visiting because Stigand is up North guarding the border, and after hearing that you planned to come home for once she figured it was the perfect time to visit. And, Davlon and Douglas are on vacation for the next month, the king granted them the extended leave after their long stay in the mountains guarding the border." She finished. Dom attempted to smile but it came out as more of a grimace. Salina noticed this and her blue eyes, so much like his own, sparkled wickedly as she embraced her sister-in-law. "Hello, Kel."

"Hello." Kel said glancing from Salina to Dom and noticing the nervous way Dom was clenching his fists and taking in his rigid stance. They were subtle signals that she might of missed on someone else, but she knew Dom far to well to overlook them. As Salina moved on to greet Neal and Yuki Kel stood on tiptoe slightly so she could whisper in Dom's ear. "Don't worry; your mom will be so overjoyed to finally have grandchildren that she won't care in the slightest whether we told her a few months after the fact." Dom nodded and managed a real smile looking slightly reassured. He offered her his arm and escorted her into the castle.

**A/N Bwhahaha! I know it was terribly cruel of me to cut you off there wasn't it? Lol. Anyway, there shall be updates galore starting next Saturday, because school will be over, until then I must enter OMG-I-have-finals-and-I-need-an-A-damn't-panic™**

**So, anyway, review. I swear the next chappie will be longer, in fact I already have most of it outlined in my head. **

**The voting shall continue, however I am eliminating any name that received zero votes. The choices are now:**

**Dominica**

**Arianna**

**Alessandria**

**Mirabella**

**Isabella**

**Adrianna**

**Michaela**

**Gemma**

**Korissa**

**Fenia**

**Zara**

**Angela**

**Beset**

**Other **

**Boys:**

**Adam**

**Jason**

**David**

**Todd**

**Mason**

**Adrian**

**Daniel**

**Edward**

**Michael**

**Other**

**Gender:**

**Boy-Girl-Boy**

**Girl-Boy-Girl**

**Anyways, review, please, it shall encourage me to update.**


	15. Sharing the News Part II

**A/N Hello, my lovely readers, I've returned with an update! Guess what, school's over! (does end of school happy dance.)**

**Thanks to All Reviewers!**

**Disclaimer:** **_"It is ludicrous to read the microwave directions on the boxes of food you buy, as each one will have a disclaimer: 'THIS WILL VARY WITH YOUR MICROWAVE.' Loosely translated, this means, 'You're on your own, Bernice.'"-_Erma Bombeck. (Nothing is owned by me.)**

"Dom!" Sonia of Fenrigh exclaimed pulling her younger brother into a hug squeezing him until he turned blue and proceeded to gasp for air.

"Sonia, I think you better let him go before he dies." Davlon, Dom' oldest brother and heir to Masbolle, said calmly.

"Oh," She paused and released Dom who promptly began sucking in as much air as he could inhale in a breath. "Sorry, Dom."

Dom could only nod in response. "Thanks, Davlon." He added once he regained his ability to breathe.

"You're welcome, little brother." Davlon replied smirking slightly when Dom scowled at the 'term of endearment.' Finally, Dom gave up at wordlessly glaring at his brother and proceeded to question him as to the location of his second eldest brother.

"Where's Douglas?"

"He's…where is he anyway?" Davlon asked looking to Sonia for help.

"He's somewhere…" She replied.

"Hey, Dom, if your looking for Douglas I saw him a minute ago, he was in the middle of challenging Kel to a friendly training match." Salina said grinning wickedly at the look of horror that crossed her brother's face.

"What'd she say?" Dom demanded.

"Why, she said yes of course." Salina responded.

"…Where's Neal? He's supposed to be watching her…" The last bit was more to himself then his siblings.

"Neal…" Salina trailed off momentarily. "Oh! Mother dragged him off to discuss some healing technique." Their mother and Neal's father were siblings both of which possessed the Gift.

"Why would you need Neal to watch Kel?" Sonia interrupted.

"And, why can't she fight Douglas. She is a knight, Dom." Davlon continued.

Dom swallowed feeling increasingly like he was being backed into a corner. Salina was still grinning widely at her brother. She loved winding him up, she had spent many happy days alternating between teaming up with Dom to prank Neal, and helping Neal to prank Dom.



"Um…" Dom said eloquently. He finally decided that his best option was to ignore his siblings for the time being and head to the practice courts.

Dom was in for a nasty surprise when he arrived at his destination. Neal, needing payback for the prank's Dom had pulled on him on the trip to Mindelan, had teamed up with Salina to get his revenge. Salina had the Sight; meaning that she was able to see magical auras and at least one of Kel's children had apparently inherited the Gift from the Queenscove side of the family, as when she looked at Kel earlier she had seen glowing around her midsection. So, long story short, Salina had figured out Dom's news without him having to tell her. She had asked Neal about it and he had confirmed her suspicions looking overjoyed that he had to keep it secret from one less person. Neal had then brought up the subject of his desire for revenge on his cousin. Salina had readily agreed and a plan was formed. They knew that Dom was likely to freak out were Kel to get involved in any kind of spar while pregnant, which is how they knew telling him that Douglas and Kel were sparing would get him running to the practice courts no questions asked. In fact, Douglas had yet to so much as see Kel, as he had been out riding when the group had arrived. But, Dom didn't know that.

And, so, Dom found himself on the receiving end of the prank his sister and cousin had cooked up. Specifically, they had laid a trap for him in the form of a magical net that they had carpeted the training court with. The sergeant of the King's Own soon found himself standing frozen in the middle of the court with no way to escape while his sister and cousin were free to do whatever they wanted without him to run interference. Dom felt dread fill him as he thought of the possibilities. Kel's pregnancy could end up coming into the open without him there to smooth things over with his mother. He really didn't like the looks of this.

So, Dom did the only thing he could do in this situation, he proceeded to scream for his Mother to come let him loose.

-I am a line-

"So, Keladry, what is this news you and Dommie have to tell me?" Lady Camilla asked pausing to shoot her eldest sons a stern look when they snickered at her term of endearment for her youngest son.

"Lady Camilla, I really think I should wait for Dom…"

"You needn't call me Lady Camilla; call me Camilla or Mother, whichever you prefer. Speaking of Domitan where has he gotten to?"

Neal and Salina had to work very hard to contain their mirth.

"He's probably contemplating how to break his news to you." Neal replied. Kel scowled at him.

"Why, has something happened?"



"No, no of course not, everything's fine." Kel exclaimed drawing Lady Camilla's attention away from Neal. They were stopped from further conversation by a loud yell echoing from the direction of the training court.

"That sounds like Dommie! He could be hurt." Dom's mother exclaimed sounding worried.

"I'm sure he's fine." Salina said immediately. "Neal and I will go see what the trouble is. Why don't you and Kel go talk?" Without waiting for a response Salina grabbed Neal by the arm and pulled him out the door and in the direction of the practice courts.

"I should've known you were in on this." Dom said with a scowl as soon as his sister and Neal reached the courts.

"In on what?" Salina asked innocently, but Dom noticed that neither she nor Neal stepped onto the area covered by the invisible trap.

"I know you know." Dom informed his sister.

"You know, I know, what? You're confusing me, Dom."

"About Kel."

"What about her?" Salina asked.

"Salina."

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know you know that Kel's pregnant."

"Yeah, I know, I just wanted to hear you say it." Salina said cheekily.

"Now, the both of you let me out of this trap. If I leave Kel alone with Mother much longer she'll have her telling her everything before I even get there."

"What're you worried about, _Dommie_?" Neal asked.

"Just let me out of here, before I tell Kel on you…" Dom said pausing a moment. "She hasn't been in the best of moods lately what with the morning sickness and the hormones…" He trailed off smiling gleefully as Neal turned several shades paler. Neal sighed and released the spell.

"If I were you I'd hurry inside, Kel could be revealing the news to your mother as we speak." Neal warned. Dom didn't need a warning, he was already half way to the castle.

"I love panicking him." Salina said softly (1).

"As do I, my cousin, as do I." Neal responded flinging an arm around her shoulders.

Dinner at Fief Masbolle was an interesting affair that night. Salina and Neal spent the meal inwardly laughing at Dom as he watched his mother fearfully. Davlon and Douglas spent their time teasing their brother in order to make up for lost months when they hadn't seen each other. Kel held Dom's free hand under the table for reassurance as his paranoia steadily increased throughout the meal. By the time dinner was finished Dom was a wreck and Neal and Salina were fighting to control their laughter.

"I think it's time you told us your big news, Domitan." Dom's father, Edgar of Masbolle, commented.

"Erm. Sure." Dom responded. "Kel's, er, we're…um…" Dom seemed to be having trouble finding the words he was looking for. Kel stepped on his foot under the table to get him to talk. "Kel's pregnant." Dom blurted out shooting his wife a glare.

"Keladry's pregnant?!" Camilla asked excitedly. "I've been waiting ages for grandchildren, see Davlon, Dommie's only been married a year and already he's providing me with a grandchild, you've been married three years and where are my grandchildren?"

"Grandchildren, actually." Kel corrected.

"Grandchildren?" Camilla asked blankly.

"Kel's having triplets."

"Three? All at once?"

"Yes." Dom answered.

"How far along are you?" Camilla said turning to Kel once more.

"About two months." Kel responded.

"Dom, you've known for two months and you didn't tell me?" Camilla questioned. "Don't worry about it, Dommie." She said before he had a chance to respond. "At least I know now, by the way, is that what had you so worked up during dinner?"

"He was terrified you were going to be upset with him, you know how worried he gets," Neal said grinning evilly when his cousin glared at him.

"This is terribly exciting," Camilla said. "I knew you were glowing earlier, Kel." She said happily.

"She was." Salina agreed. "At least one of your kids has the Gift; your midsection was glowing in my Sight." She explained.

"Don't worry Dom, I'll teach your kids how to use their Gift for good," Neal said. "Like pranking you."

Dom, meanwhile, had gone decidedly pale as he pondered Neal's statement, despite his fear he responded bravely, "My children would never turn on me."

"Like your sister wouldn't?" Neal asked innocently.

Dom opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by his mother.

"How long are you going to stay?"

"For about five days, then we have to go, third company is going on patrol," Dom said glancing at Kel out of the corner of his eye as he said this. He hated leaving her, normally it wasn't an issue because she was called away as well, but now she was on leave.

"Excellent, now, I was wondering if you'd do me the favor of taking Salina with you when you leave, your father and I decided it would be good for her to spend some time at court before she gets married. And, she could keep Kel company while you're gone."

"Sure," Dom replied. "It'd be no trouble, besides I hate leaving Kel. Neal and Yuki are usually there, but Neal could get called away at some point."

"Anyway, we'd love to have her." Kel added.

"Good, then Salina will go with you when you leave." Camilla said cheerfully.

They spent the rest of the night catching each other up on recent events and discussing court gossip.

**A/N Eh. I'm not sure how much I liked this chapter. But, whatever. It was longer though 1,715 words not counting the obnoxiously long author's note I'm about to write. Lol.**

**I'm going to eliminate the names that don't have at least two votes from the running.**

**Girls:**

**Mirabella**

**Gemma**

**Alessandria**

**Arianna**

**Adrianna**

**Isabella**

**Michaela**

**Dominica**

**Korissa**

**Zara**

**Jaella**

**Gavrila**

**Kella**

**Zelda**

**Boys:**

**David**

**Jason**

**Edward**

**Nicolas**

**Michael**

**Mason**

**Adrian**

**Daniel**

**Todd**

**Ilias**

**Mckale**

**Gender:**

**Boy-Girl-Boy**

**Girl-Boy-Girl**

**The polls will stay open until Kel reaches forth or fifth month and it is therefore possible to tell the genders. **

**Anyway, review!**


	16. Catching Up

**A/N I am updating in order of most reviews, and as you might imagine this story has very little competition as it is beating most of my other stories by more then one hundred reviews.**

**Thanks to all reviewers! Almost three hundred!! :) I love my wonderful reviewers!!**

**Dedication: To do I need a pen name, Margar, I am so very, very, very sorry about your sixth hour class. (By the way Kristen has him as well, but she is in 2****nd**** hour.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle woke up to the sound of his wife throwing up in the next room, a noise he was rapidly becoming familiar with. "Kel?" He called out softly after getting out of bed and walking over to the bathroom. He knelt beside her and rubbed her back until she stopped throwing up.

Kel frowned in distaste and accepted the hand Dom was offering to help her up off the ground. "I'm fine." Kel said answering Dom's silent question.

"Do you want me to…"

"You're not going to suggest getting Neal to make me tea are you? Because that makes me almost as nauseous as the morning sickness." Kel said with a frown.

Neal deemed this the appropriate time to walk into their room. "Yes, note the use of the word almost, meaning that it does do something for you."

"Have you ever heard of knocking, Meathead?" Dom asked interrupting Neal's 509,00075th defense of his healing teas.

"Nope." Neal replied. "Auntie Camilla said to tell you it's time for breakfast." He added as an afterthought.

"Dom," Douglas of Masbolle called pausing in the doorway to Dom and Kel's room. "Are you coming with Dav and me riding today? We're going to go through all of Masbolle."

"Is there no such thing as privacy anymore?" Dom said his vocal tone drifting into what many would consider dangerously near a whine in the way only a younger child could. Dom's older brother seemed to find this amusing.

"Don't go getting upset, _Dommie_, I was just stopping by to wish you and your lovely wife a good morning." Douglas said grinning cheekily at Dom and bowing to Kel. Kel shook her head at him noting that the dramatics Dom and especially Neal were prone to where clearly hereditary.

"Stop calling me Dommie." Dom said with a scowl.

Meanwhile, Neal was busily laughing at his cousin's predicament; he did so enjoy it when Dom's habit of name calling was reversed on him.

"But, Dommie, Mother would be absolutely crushed if she found out her precious baby boy didn't like his nickname." Douglas said staring at his brother through wide innocent eyes.

"That's it, everyone out of my room. Kel and I will be down for breakfast in a few minutes." Dom said shooing his brother and cousin out the door.

Dom turned to find his wife struggling momentarily with laughter before she successfully managed to disguise her amusement behind her Yamani mask. Dom scowled at her briefly for her 'betrayal.'

Dom and Kel finally made it down to breakfast fifteen minutes later. "Mom, Douglas was bothering me," Dom whined upon sitting at the table.

"Douglas leave your brother alone, you know he's not a morning person." Lady Camilla reprimanded. Dom waited until his mother had turned her attention back to Sonia and Salina before he flashed a triumphant grin in his brother's direction. "Kel, we were thinking that since Dommie is going out with his brothers today you could spend the day with the girls and I." Camilla said turning her attention to Kel.

"Sure." Kel replied.

"And, Yuki, you'll come as well, right?" Lady Camilla asked her niece-in-law.

"Of course, Lady Camilla." Yuki replied with a slight smile before she turned back to James who was currently seated on her lap. She had long since passed Genevieve to Neal.

"Call me Camilla or Auntie Camilla, whichever you prefer." Camilla insisted.

"So, where are we going anyway?" Dom asked pointedly addressing Davlon and ignoring his second oldest brother. Davlon rolled his eyes at his younger brothers before answering Dom.

"Riding, we figured we'd start with the orchards, but we don't have any specific plan," Davlon replied. "We thought it would be perfect for catching up, we haven't seen you in months."

"When are we leaving?"

"Right after breakfast." Davlon replied.

Indeed, they did exit the castle and head for the stables directly after breakfast. Dom was no longer ignoring Douglas by then, either because he didn't consider his brother's infraction worthy of holding a grudge over or he had forgotten about it.

"So, Dom," Douglas started casually as they trotted easily through the Masbolle orchards, far too casually in Dom's opinion, but maybe he was being overly suspicious. "Have you and Kel discussed godsparents(1) for the children yet?"

Dom _knew _Douglas had sounded far too casual.

"Yes, Dom, have you and my _dearest_ best friend since I was her page sponsor discussed godsparents?" Neal asked innocently.

"We've barely even discussed names let alone godsparents," Dom responded.

"I thought you had decided on Dominica, Arianna, and Michaela for girls, and Adam, David, and Matthew for boys?" Neal asked. Dom thanked the gods that his cousin was so easily distracted. He _so_ did not want to have a discussion with his brothers and cousin about godsparents. There were far too may possible options for godsfathers, after all Kel had four brothers, he had two, and there was Neal as well, and Raoul, and all of Kel's year mates, like Merric.

"Tentatively." Dom responded. "We've been discussing several other names as well."

"Which names?" Davlon asked.

"Well, besides the ones Neal just named we also like: Alessandria, Mirabella, Gemma, Adrianna, Isabella, Korissa, and Zara for girls. And we like: Jason, Nicolas, Edward, Mason, Adrian, and Daniel for boys." Dom responded.

"When are you going to find out what she's having?" Douglas asked. Dom looked to Neal for the answer.

"Well, she's about nine weeks along now, and it usually takes about sixteen to twenty weeks to be able to tell, so, in about another seven weeks or so." Neal replied.

"Moving on, how have you two been?" Dom asked. "How are things up north?"

"I wouldn't know," Douglas replied. "I'm currently guarding the southern border, the weather is much nicer there then it is in the north, by the way." Douglas said grinning cheekily when Davlon glared at him. Davlon had never liked the cold and much to his brother's amusement he had been assigned to guard the northern border.

"It never stops snowing up there." Davlon complained. "You have no idea how much of a relief it is to be back at Masbolle for a little while. Any relief from the snow is welcome."

"I'm sure the weather will get better eventually." Dom said attempting to comfort his eldest brother.

"Dom, I'm stationed in the mountains." Davlon said with a groan.

"Oh. Well then." Dom answered.

"He's been whining about it non-stop since he got home, even Sonia is starting to get annoyed, and you know what it takes to annoy Sonia." Douglas cut in.

"I don't whine." Davlon replied indignantly.

"_Sure_ you don't." Dom and Douglas said together making it clear how truthful they found that statement to be.

"So, where are you stationed, Neal?" Davlon asked his cousin clearly wishing to change the topic.

"No where at the moment, I'm just helping out in the palace infirmary at the moment. Father's been giving me some more training." Neal responded.

"And you Dom?"

"No where really, we just go where the King tells us too, we're supposed to be heading east in a week or so though." Dom responded.

"How come I'm the only one who has to suffer through the cold?" Davlon whined.

"Did he always whine this much?" Dom wondered aloud.

"Yes." Douglas and Neal said together.

"Everyone is ganging up on me." Davlon complained.

"Enough about work," Dom cut in. "How is Marie?" He asked his eldest brother.

"She's fine, she's visiting her parents right now, she'll be back in a few days." Davlon replied smiling faintly at the thought of his wife.

"That's good." Dom replied. "So, Doug, when are you going to settle down?" Dom asked grinning at the face his brother made.

"Never."

"Mother will nag your ear off if you don't get married soon." Dom replied.

"She does that anyway, besides as soon as I get married she'll just move on to nagging me about grandchildren."

"I think the grandchildren lecture is the worst one." Davlon said nodding in agreement.

"Be glad Kel's pregnant." Douglas added. "Of course she's going to spoil the children rotten as soon as their born. You'll be lucky to see them."

Dom laughed nervously at his brother's words. "Mother never goes that over board."

"Are you serious?" Davlon asked.

"It's because he's the baby that he doesn't notice." Douglas said.

"I am not the baby." Dom protested.

"You're her baby boy." Davlon countered.

"I hate being the youngest boy." Dom said with a pout.

"Being the oldest is worse." Davlon argued. "I have to watch out for all of you, I can't tell you how many times you and Douglas decided to go exploring and almost wandered off a cliff."

"We knew what we were doing." Douglas protested.

"_Sure_." Davlon responded sarcastically. "Sonia was the only one who never caused any trouble. You, Douglas, Salina and Neal were all one big headache."

"We were not." Neal protested.

"Whatever you say, Nealan." Davlon said patronizingly.

"Don't call me Nealan."

"Nealan is better then Dommie." Dom said as if that somehow made it better. Dom froze when he saw an evil smile spread across his cousin's face.

"Don't you think it would be fun if I let your little nickname slip to some of the men on your squad?" Neal asked.

"No!" Dom responded quickly. "Don't."

"I think I shall," Neal replied.

"You mean Lord Raoul has no idea of little Dommie's nickname?" Douglas asked looking horrified at the thought. "We must be sure to enlighten him, Neal."

"Dav, they're being mean to me." Dom said turning to his eldest brother for support.

"Stop antagonizing him," Davlon said causing Dom to sigh in relief. "For maximum effect we should lure him into a false sense of security before we spring our plan." He added in a whisper to Douglas and Neal.

"I heard that."

The afternoon passed quickly, the four men traversed through all of Masbolle discussing various memories and teasing each other repeatedly. They headed back to the castle just after dusk.

**A/N Well, I kind of hate this chapter. But, at least it's long, 1,690 words. Anyway, I would like to share the fact that I am really angry. I can't get into the clubhouse on Webkinz and my sisters can. Argh. I WANT TO GO IN THE CLUBHOUSE!!**

**Mmph.**

**Anyway.**

**(1) Tamora Pierce says godsparent not godparent, correct?**

**(2) All names remain the same as they were in previous polls. Just click back one chapter for the names. I am far too lazy to type them all up again. They are also listed on my profile.**

**(3) Gender poll: Boy-Girl-Boy or Girl-Boy-Girl**

**(4) For all the Twilight fans out there, out of curiousity, what did you think of Breaking Dawn?**

**Review! I shall hopefully update again before school starts. Ugh. School. **


	17. Back in Corus

**A/N The author throws herself on her knees and begs for your forgiveness for her various horrible transgressions. She prays that her readers can forgive her for her lack of updating, and she throws herself on their mercy. That author further comments that this chapter is brought to you by a deal she made with do i need a pen name, who agreed to update her Twilight story "Link to the Past" if the author would update this story, otherwise known as I Blame You, the author agreed and therefore here is this update.**

**Thanks to all of my lovely reviewers!**

**Dedication: do i need a pen name, who without her promise of an update this chapter would never have been written.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Kel was now about four months pregnant, it was now fairly obvious that she was pregnant given that she was having triplets. She and Dom had returned from Masbolle with Salina in tow a little more then a month ago. Dom's younger sister had been giving lodging in rooms right next to Dom and Kel's own rooms, and near Neal and Yuki's rooms which were directly opposite Dom and Kel's rooms.

Dom was currently with Raoul and the rest of Third Company at a village two or three days ride from Corus. They had been attacked by raiders and Third Company was going to help the villagers rebuild and also to attempt to catch up with the raiders. They were supposed to be gone for a couple of weeks maybe as few as two but probably closer to three or four. By the time Dom returned they would be able to tell the genders of the babies.

Kel was currently headed with Salina and Yuki to the dining hall for lunch, Neal was supposed to meet them there if at all possible but the infirmary had been busy for the last few weeks as the flu swept through Corus, it seemed that half the palace was either sick or recovering from an illness. Kel had been fortunate so far in that she had not caught the illness but several of her friends hadn't been that lucky.

When they entered the dining hall Merric was slumped over with his head in his hands looking like death had warmed over. Kel wondered how he had avoided Neal and his "Quest to Heal Everyone via Horrid Tasting Teas," but she could only guess that Merric had not seen Neal in the last several days, and had yet to go to the infirmary to get his flu treated.

Kel slid into the seat next to Merric while Salina and Yuki sat across from them.

"Hey, Merric. How're you feeling?" The lady knight asked in a quiet voice guessing –correctly- that her friend had a headache.

"I've been better." The redhead replied.

"Clearly." Salina interjected.

"Have you seen Neal yet?" Kel asked.

"No."

"You probably should, he could probably have you better in a couple of minutes." Kel replied.

"Don't say that to _him_, his head is big enough as it is." Yuki answered.

"What's this about my head being big?" Neal asked sitting down next to Yuki and kissing his wife on the cheek in greeting. "And what's wrong with you?" Neal asked narrowing his eyes suspiciously at their red-headed friend.

"He's sick." Kel replied.

"How many times did I tell you guys back when we were pages and squires that you have to go see a healer when you are sick or injured you and Kel were always one of those stoic warrior types like the Stump, always thinking that you have to suffer pain. Gods." Neal ranted.

Yuki and Salina exchanged a grin over Neal's rant while Kel and Merric scowled at him. "Maybe, I should let my Lord Wyldon know what you call him…" Kel threatened.

"You wouldn't." Neal said confidently.

"No, but I would." Merric replied threateningly although the effect of it was rather diminished given that he was interrupted by a sneezing fit midway through, but the meaning was still rather clear.

"Stop by the infirmary after lunch and I'll take care of your flu, and don't argue with me." Neal said before Merric could argue.

"Fine." Merric replied.

"And, now onto you, cousin," Neal said turning to Salina. "How goes the courting?"

"Ugh." Salina replied. "You know I hate that stuff, so of course it is going terribly."

"That's the spirit." Neal replied sarcastically.

"Leave your poor cousin alone, Nealan, and eat your vegetables don't think I didn't notice the way you've avoided those carrots like the plague for the entire meal." Kel lectured.

"Yes, Mother." The knight replied with an exaggerated eye roll. Salina laughed at her cousin's expense and Merric soon joined in. Yuki still retained enough Yamani to do nothing more then exchange an amused look with Kel.

They spent the rest of the lunch bantering back and forth and then Neal and Merric left together to go to the infirmary, and Kel, Yuki, and Salina decided to wander the palace grounds in search of entertainment of some sort. Kel was even, at this point, considering just watch Yuki and Shinko and the Queen practice glaives because at least that would break up the monotony. It was so boring not being able to practice with her weapons.

The three women discussed possible activities for the rest of the day as they walked and they finally decided to talk to Shinko about practicing glaive work in the evening, Kel and Salina would watch, but it would at least be some form of entertainment. Kel was really looking forward to Dom's return, things really got dull without him and besides she missed him when he was gone. She hoped he would be back soon. Until then maybe she'd read or something...or visit Peachblossom and Hoshi she hadn't seen them in a couple of days, as Neal had deemed it too dangerous for her to ride anymore. He was really ruining all her fun, she couldn't practice weapons or ride or do anything really besides sit. Kel sighed; it was going to be a long five months, but it would be worth it at the end because she would have three beautiful, perfect babies.

**A/N Here is my extremely poor update. But, hey, it's an update. It was really just kind of a filler, in the next chapter we shall find out the genders that being said it is time for the final vote on genders:**

**Boy-Girl-Boy**

**Girl-Boy-Girl**

**Names: I will be eliminating any names with three or less votes.**

**Mirabella: 5 votes**

**Alessandria: 16 votes**

**David: 10 votes**

**Arianna: 18 votes**

**Adrianna: 5 votes**

**Jason: 12 votes**

**Edward: 4 votes**

**Nicolas: 6 votes**

**Isabella: 10 votes**

**Michael: 4 votes**

**Michaela: 5 votes**

**Dominica: 4 votes**

**Mason: 4 votes**

**Adrian: 10 votes**

**Adam: 5 votes**

**Korissa-6 votes (suggested by Lady Grace of Masbolle)**

**Daniel: 6 votes**

**Zara: 7 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)**

**Also, I will now be starting a godsparents poll, so, I need you guys to pick three boys and three girls:**

**Boys:**

**Neal**

**Davlon**

**Anders**

**Douglas**

**Inness**

**Raoul**

**Merric**

**Conal**

**Cleon**

**Roald**

**Avinar**

**Seaver**

**Other**

**Girls:**

**Yuki**

**Salina**

**Demadry**

**Sonia**

**Patricine**

**Alanna**

**Oranie**

**Shinko**

**Adalia**

**Other**

**That concludes my various polls. Please review and the next chapter should **_**actually**_** be out soon, because I am excited to get to reveal the genders so, yeah, review.**


	18. The Genders are Revealed

**A/N The author is pleased to have updated fast enough that she doesn't need to beg for mercy, well at least not by her standards. She would like to inform you all that she is most thankful for your reviews. She also says that she has a ton of homework and should really go do some because she is going to fail otherwise and if she fails then her mother would kill her and then she will be dead and then there will be no more updates so she must do her history homework now, and then her physics homework, and her English homework, and her psychology homework and then her pre-calculus homework. **

**The Author says: Thanks to all Reviewers!**

**Dedication: The author dedicates this chapter to "I can't think of a name girl" her 350****th**** reviewer.**

**Disclaimer: The author does not possess any characters described herein.**

"Kel!" Kel had arisen early this morning for some reason, she suspected that it was because she was finding out the genders of the babies today, Dom was still asleep, dead to the world, he had just returned with the rest of Third Company from their mission late last night and he was exhausted. Kel had been careful not to wake him when she left their rooms. Kel looked away from the pages she was observing on the practice courts to see Princess Shinkokami, or Shinko as she was known to her friends walking toward her.

"Good morning, Shinko." Kel said smiling warmly at her friend who had obviously come to the practice courts to practice with her glaive given that she held it in one hand. Kel sighed looking wistfully at her friend's glaive.

"You miss it don't you, practicing that is?" Shinko asked her friend leaning on the fence next to her friend and watching idly as the pages practiced their lance work.

"Yes," Kel admitted. "I wouldn't trade the babies for anything of course, but still, it's hard to go so long without practicing or fighting or anything."

"I know what you mean," Shinko mused. "When I was pregnant with Lianokami, I thought I would go out of my mind with boredom, Roald wouldn't let me do anything," She laughed at the memory. Kel smiled ruefully.

"Dom's pretty much the same way."

"He'll lighten up; all first-time fathers tend to be pretty overprotective during the pregnancy. At least from what I've seen." Shinko responded.

They were silent for a few moments watching the pages practice some more. Shinko finally broke the silence.

"So, I hear you find out the genders today?"

"Yes," Kel replied. "Neal's going to tell us this afternoon."

"Do you have a guess?" Shinko asked. "I knew Lianokami was going to be a girl, I could just tell, you know?"

"I'm not really sure," Kel confessed. "I know it's a mix, at least I think so, I know at least one is a boy and one is a girl, and I'm thinking the third one is a boy but I'm not sure."

"Oh, Mithros, if that's true I feel terrible for that poor girl, between the two brother's she'll have, Dom, Neal, all her uncles, Raoul and all your year-mates, she'll be lucky to get away with anything." Shinko supposed.

"I know," Kel said almost wincing at the thought. "But, if that's the case, I'll control the rest of them. Besides Neal will be too busy with Genevieve, did I tell you that a seer child predicted that Neal's daughter would become a knight, back during the Scanran war?" Kel asked.

"Oh, wow, no I don't think you did, that will be amusing to see." Shinko said her eyes lighting up at the thought.

"I know," Kel said smirking slightly. "I should probably head back into the palace and see if Dom's awake, then we can go get breakfast before my appointment with Neal. And, you need to practice with you glaive anyway." She added.

"Alright, bye, Kel, let's have lunch together tomorrow in my rooms and you can tell me whether your guess was correct or not, okay?" Shinko asked.

"Sure, I'll bring Yuki with me as well,"

"Tell her to bring James and Genevieve they can play with Lianokami."

"Of course." Kel replied. "Bye, Shinko." She continued waving goodbye to her friend and heading back into the palace. Kel made it back to her rooms in no time, she found that Dom had woken up and writing reports of some sort to give to Raoul.

"Good morning, Dom." Kel greeted her husband who looked up from his papers and smiled at her.

"Good morning, Kel." He replied. "Sorry I slept so long."

"You got back late last night I expected you to, and anyway I had a nice conversation with Shinko." Kel answered.

"Well, now that your back and I'm awake, do you want to go get something to eat?" Dom asked.

"Alright let's go, you can tell me about how your mission went I didn't get a chance to talk to you about it yesterday." Kel replied leading the way out of the rooms. They talked idly over breakfast mostly about the mission they had just returned from. They headed to the infirmary to meet Neal after they finished breakfast.

"Are you two ready to find out the genders?" Neal asked after exchanging hellos with the couple.

"Yes!" They both said at once, causing Neal to laugh at them.

"Okay," Neal said. "Lie down here," He told Kel pointing to a cot near them. He had her lie back and allowed his green magic to flow over his hands, and placed them on her slightly rounded stomach. Dom held Kel's hand as they waited for Neal to tell them what he found out. "The first one is a boy." Neal informed the couple. "And the second one is a girl, and the last one is another boy." Kel couldn't believe that in a couple of months she and Dom would have two little baby boys and a baby girl. It seemed so much more real now that she knew their genders. "Congratulations." Neal said with a smile.

Dom leaned forward and kissed his wife gently on the lips, causing Neal to groan something about public displays of affection being gross. The couple just laughed at him.

**A/N Review please! **

**Name poll:**

**I am eliminating names that have no chance of winning at this point that is, all names with less then 6 votes.**

**Girls:**

**Arianna: 21 votes**

**Alessandria: 19 votes**

**Isabella: 13 votes**

**Zara: 10 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)**

**Korissa-8 votes (suggested by Lady Grace of Masbolle)**

**Mirabella: 6 votes**

**Adrianna: 6 votes**

**Michaela: 6 votes**

**Boys:**

**Jason: 16 votes**

**Adrian: 13 votes**

**David: 12 votes**

**Nicolas: 9 votes**

**Daniel: 8 votes**

**Adam: 7 votes**

**Michael: 6 votes**

**Godsparents:**

**Girls:**

**Yuki: 9 Votes**

**Shinko: 4 Votes**

**Alanna: 4 Votes**

**Salina: 3 Votes**

**Lalasa: 2 Votes**

**Buri: 2 Votes**

**Patricine: 1 Vote**

**Adalia: 1 Vote**

**Oranie: 1 Vote**

**Demadry: 1 Vote**

**Sonia: 0 Votes**

**Boys:**

**Raoul: 8 Votes**

**Neal: 7 Votes**

**Anders: 5 Votes**

**Roald: 3 Votes**

**Merric: 2 Votes**

**Davlon: 1 Vote**

**Avinar: 1 Vote**

**Wyldon: 1 Vote**

**Inness: 0 Votes**

**Conal: 0 Votes**

**Douglas: 0 Votes**

**Seaver: 0 Votes**

**Cleon: 0 votes**


	19. Dress Fittings and News Sharing

**A/N Hello, my darling readers. I have returned with an update! The school year is finally winding down. Unfortunately I still have another two weeks to go. I survived AP testing though, and my PreCalc final. Now that just leaves Physics, English, and Spanish. And English just might kill me.**

**Thanks to All Reviewers!!!**

**Dedication: to theKnightedLady my awesome new reviewer. :) **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing (well obviously I own stuff but nothing related to the characters our locations described herein.)**

Kel poked her pregnant stomach which had just begun to stick out noticeably in the last few weeks. At just over four months pregnant she was approximately the size of a woman who was five to six months pregnant. This, according to Neal, was to be expected because she was having triplets, but that didn't make Kel like it any better. It was going to take her forever to get back into shape once the babies were born.

The entire palace knew of her pregnancy by now and everyone (especially the men of third company), seemed to consider it their personal obligation to make sure she didn't over exert herself. Kel got out of the chair she had been sitting in and headed toward the doors of her and Dom's rooms, she was currently on her way to meet Salina next door and than head over to Lalasa's shop. There was to be a ball in two weeks in celebration of Lianokami's first birthday, which King Jonathon had insisted that every non-deployed and available Lord and Lady attend. Raoul, as you might guess, was utterly thrilled by this turn of events, but that's another story. Meanwhile, Kel needed a new dress for the event as none of her old ones fit any longer, and Salina as per her Mother's written instructions was to get a new dress for the ball where she would hopefully meet a viable suitor.

Kel stopped at the door next to her and Dom's rooms and knocked twice on the outside of it resting her other hand on her stomach as she waited for Salina to answer. Said girl opened the door not thirty seconds later and smiled at her sister-in-law.

"Are you sure we have to go to this?"

"Unfortunately, yes, the King ordered it. Besides, Shinko and Roald are two of my closest friends so I'd have to go either way, and also, your Mother said you are to attend the ball." Kel replied automatically.

"I am so dreadfully tired of balls…" Salina said with a sigh. "And suitors." She added as an afterthought as the two walked through the palace heading toward Lalasa's small shop.

"I'm sure you'll find the right guy one day," Kel said reassuringly. "And, I highly doubt your parents would force you to marry someone you didn't love, so don't worry about it."

By this time they had reached Lalasa's shop. Kel pushed open the door and was instantly greeted by her friend and former maid.

"Lady Kel," Lalasa greeted hugging her friend. "You're positively glowing, how are you feeling?"

"Better now that the morning sickness has finally ended." The lady knight answered. "Anyway, Lalasa, this is my sister-in-law, Salina." The two women exchanged hellos and conversation moved quickly to the discussion of dresses for the upcoming ball. Lalasa took both women's measurements and then proceeded to discuss colors and styles with them.

They left the store just over an hour after entering it; Lalasa had promised to have the dresses ready in time for the ball and had congratulated Kel again on her pregnancy.

The two walked in relative silence back toward their rooms for a few minutes each caught up in their own thoughts before Kel finally spoke.

"I'm meeting Yuki and Shinko for lunch now would you like to come with?"

"That would be great, I don't have any other plans and I'd be glad for something to do," Salina replied. The two headed off toward Shinko's sitting room, when they arrived both the princess and Yuki were already there. Shinko invited them both in with a smile.

Kel and Salina sat down on the sofa across from the one that Yuki and Salina currently occupied.

"How was your dress fitting?" Shinko inquired.

"It was fine," Kel replied. "Although, I'd as soon wear an old dress were at an option, unfortunately nothing fits me these days."

"Don't worry you'll lose all the extra weight easily once you have the babies, especially with all the training you do." Yuki reassured her friend.

From this they moved onto discussing other topics including Lianokami's upcoming birthday, and the fact that the young princess took her first steps a couple of days earlier. The four women continued to chat for about an hour more before the small party broke up as Shinko was supposed to be meeting the Queen, and Yuki needed to relieve Neal of caring for the twins as he was supposed to be working in the infirmary that afternoon. Salina also had plans with some friends of hers to go into Corus and explore the marketplace, and Kel was planning to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing with Dom.

"How was your lunch?" Dom said by way of greeting when his wife entered their rooms.

"It was fun," Kel replied. "Salina came with me. Did you know Lianokami started walking?"

"Did she?" Dom asked.

"Yes, a couple of days ago, Shinko is really excited." Kel paused. "Do you realize in a couple of months we're going to have children of our own, and not long after that they'll be walking and talking?"

"I know, it's pretty hard to believe." Dom replied. "But, I've never been more excited about anything in my entire life."

"Me too." Kel said softly. Dom grinned at his wife and pulled her toward him kissing her gently on the lips.

"I can hardly wait." The sergeant said when they broke apart.

**A/N Review, please! The ending feels kind of abrupt to me, what do you guys think? I'm stopping here though because I can't think of how else to end it…so yeah.**

**Now onto the voting!**

Girls:

**Arianna: 25 votes**

**Alessandria: 23 votes**

**Isabella: 14 votes**

**Zara: 13 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)**

**Korissa-11 votes (suggested by Lady Grace of Masbolle)**

**Michaela: 8 votes**

**Adrianna: 7 votes**

**Mirabella: 6 votes**

Boys:

**Jason: 22 votes**

**Adrian: 17 votes**

**David: 15 votes**

**Nicolas: 13 votes**

**Daniel: 12 votes**

**Adam: 7 votes**

**Michael: 7 votes**

**Gavriel: 1 Vote (suggested by sara-rivka)**

**Godsparents:**

**Girls:**

**Yuki: 20 Votes**

**Alanna: 12 Votes**

**Shinko: 6 Votes**

**Salina: 5 Votes**

**Buri: 6 Votes**

**Lalasa: 4 Votes**

**Patricine: 2 Votes**

**Oranie: 2 Votes**

**Adalia: 1 Vote**

**Demadry: 1 Vote**

**Sonia: 0 Votes**

Boys:

**Raoul: 18 Votes**

**Neal: 17 Votes**

**Anders: 8 Votes**

**Roald: 5 Votes**

**Merric: 4 Votes**

**Wyldon: 2 Votes**

**Davlon: 1 Vote**

**Avinar: 1 Vote**

**George:1 Vote**

**Inness: 0 Votes**

**Conal: 0 Votes**

**Douglas: 0 Votes**

**Seaver: 0 Votes**

**Cleon: 0 votes**

**Anyways, review please. ;)**


	20. Lianokami's Birthday Ball

**A/N Hello and welcome to the first update for this story of 2010! Read&Enjoy. Happy New Years!**

**Thanks to all Reviewers!!!**

**Dedication: To Yuuki Cullen my 400****th**** reviewer!! :D**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

"You delight in my pain." Raoul groaned.

"And mine." Alanna chimed in.

"No more so than the rest of my subjects," Jonathan replied. "Okay, just a tad more." He admitted, grinning at his two childhood friends.

"It seems to me that you have all these balls and functions just for your own twisted amusement not out of any actual necessity." Raoul continued with a glower.

"You can't actually prove that," Jon answered back with a wink. "Anyway, I had better go mingle with the foreign dignitaries before my ministers have my head, in the meantime why don't you two have a nice conversation with young Keladry," He finished gesturing to Kel who was walking past their table. "Lady Knight, why don't you see if you can get these two to appreciate the splendid ball I have arranged for my granddaughter?"

"Of course, sire." Kel replied, although she doubted if she would be much help, she had been Raoul's squire after all, and wasn't very fond of balls either.

"Enjoying your self, my lord?" Kel inquired with a grin slipping into the available seat on Raoul's other side.

"How many times do I need to tell you to call me Raoul?" He asked.

"Of course, sir." Kel replied, grinning cheekily at her former knight-master.

"Stop torturing the poor man," Alanna said her purple eyes alight with mischief. "I mean, just think of all the balls he's going to have to attend…balls for Lianokami's second birthday, and third and forth, etc, as well as balls for every other kid Roald and Shinko have, and then balls for all of Jon and Thayet's other children, I shudder to imagine all the terrible social functions he is going to be forced to attend…"

"Of course," Kel said picking up her cue. "There will also probably be another progress to show off the new heir to the kingdom once Lianokami's a little bit older…"

"Enough! I can't take it anymore." Raoul wailed. "Why does everyone insist on causing me pain?"

"You make it too easy," Alanna replied with a smirk.

"Lady Alanna, Lord Raoul, my dear Kel, how are you all on this fine evening?" Neal said sliding into the empty seat next to Kel.

"Quite well thank you, Nealan, I do so delight in torment," Alanna replied.

"I didn't even do anything," Neal protested.

"…yet." Kel added.

"Not you," Alanna answered, grinning at her ability to strike fear into the heart of her former squire. "I meant my good friend Raoul here."

"Oh." Neal said sounding relieved.

"What happened to Yuki?" Kel questioned. "The last time I saw you, the both of you seemed to be enjoying each other's company quite well on the dance floor."

"She went off with Princess Shinko, to check on the kids, they're next door in the adjoining room, having their own mini-ball in the company of several ladies-in-waiting."

"See, I don't understand why we even have to be here, if the subject of the party is not even present." Raoul muttered sullenly.

"Give it up, Raoul." Alanna commanded. "We're never going to get out of these social events; such is our punishment for becoming friends with Jon."

"Would you mind if I borrowed my lovely wife?" Dom queried suddenly appearing at the table.

"Go ahead; she delights in pain anyway, just like the rest of them." Raoul replied waving them away. Dom pulled his wife toward the dance floor where a new dance was just about to begin.

"You haven't danced with me for months now." Dom explained.

"It has been awhile." Kel agreed allowing him to spin her around.

"You look beautiful tonight," Dom whispered softly, looking down at her with intense blue eyes. Kel reddened slightly at his words and Dom grinned at the fact that he could still cause her to blush even after all these years.

"As do you." Kel replied cheekily, after a few moments passed in silence.

"Why must you always ruin the moment?" Dom asked with a groan.

"To prevent you from turning into another Neal, any day now I am expecting you to begin spouting bad poetry."

Dom shot his wife a look of pure, unadulterated horror. "How dare you imply such a thing? I would never stoop to that level…" He maintained. "…my poetry would be good!"

This time it was Kel's turn to groan. "Sure, whatever you say, dear."

"Sometimes I feel so abused." Dom murmured.

"As do we all." Kel said wisely in reply. "Now let's see about finding your sister, shall we?" She asked briskly as the song came to an end.

"Fine." Dom replied allowing his wife to tug him in the direction where she had last seen Salina.

They discovered Salina seated at a table on the far right side of the ballroom, she was accompanied by several other young ladies of her age, who she was currently engaged in conversation with. She was evidently leading the dialogue as she was speaking very animatedly and gesturing repeatedly as she spoke to the group at large. Kel noticed several men shoot admiring glances at her sister-in-law, who admittedly looked very pretty especially when she was excited about something. Dom apparently noticed this as well because he glared at the men staring at his sister until they looked away.

They had reached Salina's table by this time, and Kel tapped her gently on the shoulder to gain her attention. "Oh, hello, Kel, Dom." Salina said smiling at her brother and sister-in-law before turning to introduce them to the other ladies.

"This is my youngest older brother-" Salina ignored Dom's glare and continued on. "Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle and his wife Lady Knight Keladry of Masbolle," She explained. "And this is Lady Margarry of Cavall," she said gesturing to the girl on her right. "Owen introduced us, and then Lady Margarry was so kind as to introduce me to her friends, Jaquetta of Naxen," she indicated the girl on her left. "and Alexandra HaMinch."

"It's nice to meet you." Kel replied, while Dom murmured his assent. The other girls replied in kind, and Dom and Kel accepted seats at their table.

"Have you been enjoying the ball, Salina?" Dom asked his younger sister mischievously.

"Scads." She replied dryly. "And, how about you? I saw you and Kel on the dance floor and you looked like you were having quite a bit of fun." She said archly while raising a single eyebrow at him.

Dom grinned at his sister, but did offer any comment beyond a wink and the following remark, "Kel and I always have fun."

"I'm sure that you do." Salina replied mischievously.

Kel decided that now would be a good time to cut in before Salina and Dom approached any sort of more dangerous territory, at which point she would be forced to lock herself in her rooms and refuse to come out.

"Lady Margarry, I understand that you are now engaged to Sir Owen, congratulations, he is one of my dearest friends, I'm sure the two of you will be quite happy together."

"Thank you, Lady Knight." Margarry replied with a soft smile. "Owen and I grew quite close when he was serving as my father's squire."

"I'm sure that you did," Kel responded politely. "I know Sir Neal grew to know Lady Alanna's children well when he was serving as her squire."

"Neal also grew close to other things during that time, such as the ground, I know he and the ground became close friends." Salina added with a smile.

"I sympathize with him in that regard, for I had many a flying lesson during my time with Lord Raoul and let me tell you, humans are not meant to fly." Kel said with a shudder.

"She set a new record," Dom said proudly.

They continued to talk for a while longer before Owen approached and took Margarry away to dance, shortly after another young man came and asked Alexandra if she might like to dance. Salina went off to dance with Merric, and Jaquetta was led off by a knight Kel knew by sight if not by name as he was a couple years her junior.

"Alone at last." Dom said pulling his wife's face toward him and kissing her softly on the lips before she pushed him away, mumbling about public indecency.

"However, I do wonder if we could get away with sneaking out…?" Kel said trailing off suggestively.

Dom looked furtively around for any sign of witnesses before pulling his wife toward the nearest set of doors out of the ballroom.

"What King Jonathan doesn't know can't hurt us." Dom said with a grin.

**A/N Review!**

Girls:

**Arianna: 32 votes**

**Alessandria: 30 votes**

**Isabella: 14 votes**

**Zara: 16 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)**

**Korissa-11 votes (suggested by Lady Grace of Masbolle)**

**Michaela: 9 votes**

**Adrianna: 8 votes**

**Mirabella: 6 votes**

**Faye: 1 vote (Suggested by Domluvr)**

**Rebecca: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Irnai: 1 vote (Suggested by Kayti)**

**Loesia: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Jenna: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Lalasa: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Annalily: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

Boys:

**Jason: 34 votes**

**Adrian: 27 votes**

**David: 19 votes**

**Nicolas: 14 votes**

**Daniel: 13 votes**

**Adam: 8 votes**

**Michael: 8 votes**

**Gavriel: 2 Vote (suggested by sara-rivka)**

**Dominic: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Piers: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Gil: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Godsparents:**

**Girls:**

**Yuki: 31 Votes**

**Alanna: 17 Votes**

**Shinko: 8 Votes**

**Buri: 8 Votes**

**Salina: 7 Votes**

**Lalasa: 7 Votes**

**Patricine: 2 Votes**

**Oranie: 3 Votes**

**Adalia: 1 Vote**

**Demadry: 1 Vote**

**Sonia: 0 Votes**

Boys:

**Raoul: 29 Votes**

**Neal: 27 Votes**

**Anders:12 Votes**

**Roald: 7 Votes**

**Merric: 4 Votes**

**Wyldon: 4 Votes**

**Davlon: 1 Vote**

**Avinar: 1 Vote**

**George:1 Vote**

**Inness: 0 Votes**

**Conal: 0 Votes**

**Douglas: 0 Votes**

**Seaver: 0 Votes**

**Cleon: 0 votes**


	21. Visitors

**A/N This could be considered a fast update if you were to turn your head slightly to the right, and squint at the previous update date. **

**Thanks to all Reviewers:**

**Dedication: To RozenLupine, for her review. **

**Disclaimer: I own nada. :)**

Lady Knight Keladry of Masbolle walked down the halls of the palace, her shoes making a soft click against the floor as she went. She was headed toward the East Wing of the palace, in search of her best friend, Sir Nealan of Queenscove. She soon reached the infirmary and made her way into the room looking around for the familiar head of brown hair.

"Neal." Kel called to her friend, who was currently hunched over a table examining a giant tome.

"Oh, hello, Kel." He replied looking up from his work after a few seconds.

"I'm looking for Salina, you haven't seen her have you?" Kel asked. "I stopped by her rooms but she wasn't in." The lady knight continued.

"I'm not good enough for you?" Neal asked faking hurt.

Kel rolled her eyes at him fondly. "Nope." She replied lightly.

"The last time I saw my dear cousin, she was heading towards Lady Margarry's rooms, apparently she's taken to hiding out in there from her various suitors, seeing as how no one is brave enough to approach the Stump's family rooms." Neal replied.

"Ah." Kel noted. "Salina does have a fine head for strategy."

"Indeed." Neal agreed. "It's just unfortunate that she seldom uses it for good, not that I blame her for trying to escape her suitors, some of them seem to be, how can I phrase this eloquently...lacking in intelligence." Neal said after a pause.

"I guess there's no help for it, I shall just have to go retrieve her form my Lord Wyldon's rooms." Kel said with a sigh.

"No, Kel!" Neal exclaimed dramatically. "You may never return, you never know what the Stump will do once he has you trapped."

"I'll see you later, Neal." Kel said sounding amused.

She headed toward where she knew Lord Wyldon's rooms to be, and despite her earlier amusement in her conversation with Neal she still found it to be odd to be heading toward the private family rooms of her former training master. Not that she would allow Neal such vindication. Kel soon reached his rooms and was about to knock on the door when she heard her former training master himself call to her from the other end of the hall. She spun to face him.

"Lady Knight?" Lord Wyldon asked by way of inquiry.

"My lord." Kel greeted immediately. "I was just looking for my sister-in-law, Salina, Neal informed that she had lately been to see your daughter Lady Margarry." She explained.

Wyldon's mouth tightened as he considered Neal, who had been one of his most difficult students, and the only one he had ever threatened with a knot in their tongue. "Yes, Lady Salina was here when I left to go speak with the King around an hour ago." Wyldon replied opening the door to his chambers and stepping back to allow her to enter.

Kel entered across the threshold feeling decidedly awkward.

"Kel," Salina greeted looking up from where she was seated with Lady Margarry on a sofa, the two were in the middle of drinking tea.

"Lady Knight Keladry, it's a pleasure to see you again." Lady Margarry greeted. "Hello, Father." She added standing up and walking over to Wyldon placing a kiss on his cheek. "Would either of you care for some tea?"

"No, thank you, Margarry." Wyldon replied. "I just stopped by to get something, however, I'm glad I ran into you, Lady Knight."

"How can I assist you, my lord?" Kel inquired after turning down the offer of tea.

"I just ran into your mother, Lady Ilane, apparently she and your father have just arrived, your mother was looking for you. I told her that if I happened upon you, I would direct you to her, she said that she would be in their palace rooms." He explained.

"Thank you, my lord." Kel said faintly excited by the presence of her parents, she never realized how much she missed them until she saw them again. "Salina, if you and Lady Margarry are finished, we've received a letter from your Mother, which you may wish to respond to." Kel informed her sister-in-law.

"Of course." Salina replied. "And, I would like to see your parents again, I have only met them a handful of times since you and Dom began your courtship." She added. "If you will excuse me Lady Margarry, Lord Wyldon...?"

"I will see you tomorrow." Margarry replied waving her friend away. Lord Wyldon nodded his head offering his acquiesce to her departure.

Kel followed her sister-in-law out of the room and into the hallway, the two then headed towards Kel's parents' rooms. Kel knocked lightly on the door when they reached them and awaited her mother's call for them to enter.

"Kel, you look absolutely radiant." Lady Ilane of Mindelan exclaimed seizing her daughter in an embrace.

"Thank you." Kel replied. "You remember Salina, of course...?"

"Indeed, I do, and it is quite lovely to see you again, Lady Salina." Lady Ilane greeted the other noble.

"It is a pleasure to be in your company again, Lady Ilane." Salina assured Kel's mother.

"Sit down the both of you." Kel's mother commanded steering the two toward the sofa and seating herself in a winged armchair near the two younger women. They exchanged standard pleasantries for a few moments, before moving on to other news.

"How is Demadry?" Kel asked her mother. Kel had received a letter informing her of the birth of her sister's baby, Ileana, several weeks ago.

"She is doing well, and Ileana is one of the sweetest babies I've ever known." Ilane said brightening as she thought of her newest grandchild. "Ileana is about two months old now, and Demadry told me that she is going to bring her to visit you soon." She added.

Kel smiled at her mother and expressed her sincere wishes to meet her newest niece. The conversation considered in this manner for several minutes longer, until Ilane redirected it to Salina.

"Lady Salina, I understand from your mother that you are currently in the process of arranging your marriage...?" Ilane asked looking to Salina for confirmation, the blond head nodded slightly in confirmation. "How is that going?"

"Alright, I suppose." Salina answered delicately.

"Ah." Ilane said looking amused quickly grasping the situation. "I take it you're not sold on anyone yet." She stated more than asked.

"Yes, my lady." The youngest Masbolle answered.

"Well, I'm sure it will all work out for the best, dear." The older woman assured her. "Oh, I ran into Princess Shinkokami earlier, and she invited us to have dinner with her this evening, as well as Yuki and Salina." Ilane informed her daughter. "Although, you look tired, dear, are you getting enough sleep?" She asked looking at Kel and making it clear that she expected honesty.

"I'm fine." Kel hastened to assure her mother. "Just a little bit tired."

"You should rest then, triplets put added strain on your body, so it's important that you take care of yourself, also, I'm sure you don't want to have to deal with Dom or Neal freaking out at you, husbands and healers have a tendency to do that." Ilane said with a laugh. "I remember your father was constantly worried about the slightest mishap when I was pregnant, especially when I had Anders." She said with a fond smile as she thought of her husband.

Kel reluctantly agreed to return to her rooms and rest for awhile before they went to have dinner with Shinko later that evening. She had to go give Salina the letter from her mother anyway and she was rather tired. They soon reached Kel and Dom's rooms, the lady knight presented Salina with her letter, and allowed herself to be steered towards the sofa, having resolutely refused to actually lie down in the bed.

"I'm going to go answer my letter, you rest." Salina ordered her sister-in-law in a stern tone.

Kel waved her away with a promise to rest for at least half an hour, which she was forced to amend to an hour when Salina glared at her. The lady knight closed her eyes and attempted to sleep finding it to be easier than expected when she soon slipped into the bliss of unconsciousness. She managed to remain asleep for just over thirty minutes, when she awoke to the sound of the door opening. She yawned and sat up slowly spotting her husband.

"Did I wake you up?" Dom asked.

"I was going to get up soon anyway." Kel assured him.

"Sorry." He said ruefully running a hand through his hair and walking over to the sofa. He lifted up his wife's feet and sat down on the other end of the couch, placing them in his lap as he did so.

"How was your day?" Kel asked.

"Long." Dom replied succinctly. "We've been training the new recruit." He explained.

"Fun." Kel said grinning at the look on the sergeant's face.

"Words cannot describe how fun it was." He emphasized his words with a grimace of distaste. "Lord Raoul is making us take them with us on our next mission." Dom added. Kel did her best to look properly horrified.

"That sounds awful." She said sympathetically.

"It is. I've seen first year pages with a better grasp of weaponry than this lot." Dom asserted. "Enough about me, how has your day been?"

"Fine. I saw Neal this morning, then I went to my lord Wyldon's rooms and retrieved Salina, we saw my parents, they're here by the way, and Mama informed me that Princess Shinko has invited her, Salina, Yuki, and myself to have dinner with her this evening."

"Sounds fun." Dom noted. Their conversation was driven to a halt when they heard a knock at the door, which Dom reluctantly got up to answer. He found Yuki, Neal, and their children on the other side of it and stepped aside to allow them entrance.

"Oh, good, you're resting." Neal noted upon spying Kel on the sofa.

"Yes." Kel confirmed. "So, there is no need for any lectures."

"I do not lecture." Neal maintained. "However, you have an appointment with me on Friday, don't forget." The healer warned his friend.

"I won't."

"And, now, Sir Meathead, how can we be of assistance to you?" Dom inquired of his cousin.

"You, are going to watch the twins for me while I am in the infirmary, Father was supposed to be in there tonight but he got called away to deal with something or other, so now I am supposed to oversee it for the evening, and since Yuki will be with Kel, you get the privilege of watching my darling offspring."

"Think of it as practice for when your kids are born." Yuki recommended. "Anyway, we need to get going, come on, Kel." She continued. The lady knight reluctantly got to her feet using the arm of the sofa to pull herself up with.

"I'll see you later, Dom." Kel said to her husband kissing him lightly on the lips. "Good luck." She added as Neal deposited his two children into his cousin's lap.

"Be good for your Uncle Dom." Neal called following his wife and friend out the door.

Dom watched the door shut and then turned to look down at the two toddlers perched in his lap. Genevieve gurgled at him and then proceeded to reach up, grab a handful of his hair and yank. While her brother attempted to crawl off of Dom's lap, coming dangerously close to taking a tumble off the sofa and onto the floor. It was going to be a long night for one King's Own sergeant.

**************A/N So, I have some good news and some bad news, first the good news: given that I actually have several ideas for upcoming chapters of this story it is moving to the top of my update priority list, the bad news is despite that fact updates will still be generally slow as we are moving into AP Test Season, dundundun. **

Girls:

**Arianna: 37 votes**

**Alessandria****: 36 votes**

**Isabella: 16 votes**

**Zara: 18 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)**

**Korissa-11 votes (suggested by Lady Grace of Masbolle)**

**Michaela: 10 votes**

**Adrianna: 10 votes**

**Mirabella: 6 votes**

**Faye: 2 votes (Suggested by Domluvr)**

**Rebecca: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Irnai: 1 vote (Suggested by Kayti)**

**Loesia: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Jenna: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Lalasa: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Annalily: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Allasadia: 1 vote (suggested by Silver-Creasent-MOON1995)**

**Kennedy: 1 vote (suggested by morgan allayne)**

Boys:

**Jason: 43 votes**

**Adrian****: 33 votes**

**David: 21 votes**

**Daniel: 15 votes**

**Nicolas: 16 votes**

**Adam: 10 votes**

**Michael: 9 votes**

**Gavriel: 4 votes (suggested by sara-rivka)**

**Dominic: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Piers: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Gil: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)**

**Godsparents:**

**Girls:**

**Yuki: 44 Votes**

**Alanna: 23 Votes**

**Shinko: 13 Votes**

**Lalasa: 9 Votes**

**Buri: 8 Votes**

**Salina****: 9 Votes**

**Patricine: 2 Votes**

**Oranie: 4 Votes**

**Adalia: 1 Vote**

**Demadry: 1 Vote**

**Sonia: 0 Votes**

Boys:

**Raoul: 41 Votes**

**Neal: 36 Votes**

**Anders: 17 Votes**

**Roald: 10 Votes**

**Merric: 4 Votes**

**Wyldon: 4 Votes**

**Davlon: 1 Vote**

**Avinar: 1 Vote**

**George:1 Vote**

**Inness: 0 Votes**

**Conal: 0 Votes**

**Douglas****: 0 Votes**

**Seaver: 0 Votes**

**Cleon: 0 votes**

**New poll!!! I need to decide who I want to pair Salina up with, that being said you the readers shall get to vote on this as well.**

**A. Merric of Hollyrose**

**B. Faleron of King's Reach**

**C. Seaver of Tasride**

**D. Esmond of Nicoline**

**E. Alan of Pirate's Swoop**

**F. Prosper of Tameran**

**G. Liam of Conte**

**H. Jasson of Conte**

**I. Any other random character from the book, that you suggest.**

**Okay, review and vote. :D**


	22. Dom the Baby Sitter

**A/N Hello my lovely readers, I have returned with an update for you all.**

**Thanks to all Reviewers!**

**Dedication: To studentofwords my four hundred and fiftieth reviewer.**

**Disclaimer: I own nada.  
**

"I'm late, late, late." Salina murmured under her breath as she sped across the palace in the direction of Princess Shinkokami's rooms. She wasn't paying much attention to what she was doing, and so it was that she didn't notice the wet spot on the floor which sent her sliding across the hallway and colliding with another person. "I'm so sorry..." She said immediatly.

"No harm done." The other person who turned out to be a man around Salina's age replied. He stood up and offered her a hand up as well which she gladly accepted. "If I may ask where is it your headed?" He asked once she was back on her feet.

"Dinner with Princess Shinkokami, my sister-in-law and a few others." Salina replied. "And, I'm late."

"Don't worry, Shinko's never ready on time anyway."

"Shinko?" She asked questioning his familiarity with the princess.

"My sister-in-law." He answered. "I'm Liam by the way."

Salina turned slightly pink upon realizing that she hadn't recognized the prince. "Salina." She replied with a curtsy.

"How about I walk you over there, I need to meet up with Roald anyway, the two of us, as well as Jasson always eat dinner together at least once a week." Liam explained.

"That would be great, thanks." Salina replied.

"Have you been in Corus long?" He asked.

"Only a few weeks, I haven't gotten to see much of Corus though, I've mostly been in the palace, Dom and Neal haven't really had anytime to take me around, and Neal has expressly forbid Kel from riding at this point in her pregnancy."

"I can take you around if you want, I was planning to go into town tomorrow if you're free?" He asked.

"I'm completely free." Salina replied. "And that would be amazing, the palace gets boring after awhile. No offense."

"None taken, I know what you mean." He said with a grin. They had reached Roald and Shinko's rooms at this point and Liam knocked on the door and they were promptly admitted into the suite of rooms by a maid. Liam disappeared to find Roald while Salina was led into the small dining room where the rest of their group were already waiting.

"Sorry I'm late. I ran into Prince Liam on the way." Salina explained. "And by ran into, I mean literally ran into, as in collided with and knocked over." She said sinking into the empty seat in between Kel and Yuki.

"That's one way of getting to know someone." Shinko remarked brightly. "I usually just introduce myself, but to each her own. Anyway, did you leave the twins with Neal?" She said turning to Yuki.

"Dom, actually." Yuki replied. "Neal is watching the infirmary tonight."

"It's good practice for him." Ilane remarked, he'll have three children of his own to look after soon enough.

"I wonder how he's getting on..." Kel mused.

**-Story Break-**

"Genevieve, don't eat that." Dom exclaimed snatching away Kel's griffin feather headband which she had somehow got a hold of. The little girl began to wail loudly at the admonishment, causing Dom to groan in frustration. "Please, please stop crying." He begged her, turning away from her as a loud bang sounded from across the room as he spotted James sitting on the floor next to a pile of knocked over books.

"Boom! Books go Boom!" He exclaimed clapping his hands together.

"I hate Neal. I hate Neal. I hate Neal." Dom muttered as he strode across the room to retrieve the little boy from the pile of knocked over books.

-Story Break-

"I'm sure it's going great." Yuki replied. "Dom loves kids."

"You're right." Kel replied with a smile. "How long are you staying for, Mom?" She asked turning her attention to her mother.

"At least a month, maybe longer." Ilane replied. "We'll stay until you have the babies if we can, otherwise we'll come back for the birth." She added. "We can't wait to see our newest grand-babies."

"You're going to come to glaive practice with Yuki and I, right, Lady Ilane?" Shinko asked sending Kel an apologetic look.

"Of course." Ilane replied, I get so few opponents at Mindelan nowadays.

"In a few months you'll be back practicing with us." Yuki assured the lady knight.

"And woefully out of shape." Kel added.

"You out of shape, is still better than most people." Shinko said laughingly. "Don't worry about it." She said as she took a sip of her cider. "How is everything going with your pregnancy?" The princess inquired.

"It's going well." Kel said with a shrug. "I'm of the opinion that the second trimester is the best one, no morning sickness, and more mobility than the third trimester."

"I thought so too." Yuki said in agreement. "Plus, husbands get really annoying by the third trimester. Neal followed me practically everywhere."

"So did Roald." Shinko said with a fond smile at the thought of her husband.

"I already have big plans for trimester three." Kel announced.

"And those are?" Salina inquired.

"I'm going to take a page out of your book." The lady knight said a grin spreading across her face.

"What did Salina do?" Ilane asked her daughter.

"Found the perfect way to avoid unwanted suitors: hiding out in Lord Wyldon's rooms." Kel explained. "Neal is deathly afraid of him, he won't follow me there, and Dom won't think to look there."

"I should have thought of that." Yuki remarked. "There's also the option of hiding out with Lady Alanna, both Dom and Neal are afraid of her wrath, actually I think the entire palace is afraid of angering her."

"Another excellent suggestion." Shinko said nodding in agreement. "Now, let's have dessert, shall we?" She inquired. They remained another hour chatting about general topics and catching up over dessert before they decided that it was past time to rescue Dom from the adorable clutches of Genevieve and James.

**-Story Break-**

"What exactly happened to you?" Kel asked in an amused tone once Yuki had collected the twins and left.

"They. Are. Evil." Dom replied. "They look cute, but in reality they are pure evil. Meathead has been teaching them his despicable ways, I know he has." He added hysterically.

"I'm sure it couldn't have been that bad." Kel said sitting down beside her husband and squeezing his hadn in comfort. "Now tell me what the big, bad toddlers did to torment you."

"Very funny." Dom said sarcastically. "They were all over the place, every time I turned around one of them had escaped, at one point I actually lost James, but thankfully I found him a few minutes later, about to eat a spider, but intact, and they wouldn't stop crying. How can something that small be so loud?" He asked wildly.

"It will be okay." She reassured him while mentally planning to recap his misery to Neal and possibly Lord Raoul the next day, she had to get her amusement from somewhere after all.

"I think they're possessed." Dom pronounced.

"They're not possessed." Kel said firmly.

"But how can you be sure?" He demanded.

"Dom?"

"Yes?"

"Be quiet and kiss me."

And, thus, all conversation ended in the rooms of Domitan and Keladry of Masbolle.

**A/N This story will be updated every Monday in compliance with my new update schedule, which is posted on my profile.**

* * *

Girls:

Arianna: 41 votes

Alessandria: 39 votes

Zara: 20 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)

Isabella: 17 votes

Korissa-11 votes (suggested by Lady Grace of Masbolle)

Adrianna: 11 votes

Michaela: 11 votes

Mirabella: 6 votes

Faye: 2 votes (Suggested by Domluvr)

Jenna: 2 votes (suggested by Kayti)

Rebecca: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)

Irnai: 1 vote (Suggested by Kayti)

Loesia: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)

Lalasa: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)

Annalily: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)

Allasadia: 1 vote (suggested by Silver-Creasent-MOON1995)

Kennedy: 1 vote (suggested by morgan allayne)

* * *

Boys:

Jason: 44 votes

Adrian: 36 votes

David: 26 votes

Nicolas: 17 votes

Daniel: 16 votes

Adam: 11 votes

Michael: 11 votes

Gavriel: 4 votes (suggested by sara-rivka)

Dominic: 2 votes (suggested by Kayti)

Piers: 1 vote (suggested by Kayti)

Gil: 3 votes (suggested by Kayti)

* * *

Godsparents:

Girls:

Yuki: 50 Votes

Alanna: 26 Votes

Shinko: 15 Votes

Salina: 11 Votes

Lalasa: 10 Votes

Buri: 9 Votes

Patricine: 2 Votes

Oranie: 5 Votes

Adalia: 1 Vote

Demadry: 1 Vote

Sonia: 0 Votes

* * *

Boys:

Raoul: 45 Votes

Neal: 40 Votes

Anders: 21 Votes

Roald: 12 Votes

Merric: 4 Votes

Wyldon: 4 Votes

Davlon: 1 Vote

Avinar: 1 Vote

George:1 Vote

Inness: 0 Votes

Conal: 0 Votes

Douglas: 0 Votes

Seaver: 0 Votes

Cleon: 0 votes

* * *

Salina/?

Alan of Pirate's Swoop: 6 Votes

Merric of Hollyrose: 4 Votes

Liam of Conte: 2 Votes

Faleron of King's Reach: 2 Votes

Seaver of Tasride: 0 Votes

Esmond of Nicoline: 0 Votes

Prosper of Tameran: 0 Votes

Jasson of Conte: 0 Votes

* * *

**Review!**


	23. Adventures in Corus

********

********

********

**A/N Hello my lovely reviewers. I have returned with an update. Isn't the summer wonderful? **

**Thanks to all Reviewers!**

********

**Dedication: To Children-Of-The-Blood whose lovely trilingual review amused me greatly. :)**

"Do you have plans for today?" Keladry of Masbolle inquired of her sister-in-law over breakfast. "I'm going to help Lord Raoul sort supplies for the King's Own, as it's the closest I can get to useful work these days." She continued. "But, I don't think that will be much fun for you, so do you have anything to do today?"

"Yes, actually." Salina answered. "Prince Liam volunteered to take me into Corus today."

Neal, who had been laying half asleep with his head on the table, perked up at this fresh opportunity to torment his cousin. "Are you going to start composing sonnets about how handsome he was when you knocked him down?" He asked innocently as Salina turned a bright shade of red.

"No, that's you, Nealan." Kel shot back. "I seem to recall being forced to listen to quite a bit of your appalling poetry during our squire years."

"My poetry is not bad." Neal defended. "It's an acquired taste!"

"How do you even know about that?" Salina demanded.

"Yuki told me." Neal replied. "And, unlike the rest of you my wife happens to adore my poetry."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Kel said patting her best friend condescendingly on the arm. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I really must be going." She said levering herself up using the table for support, pregnancy was really beginning to throw of her center of balance.

"Don't forget your appointment with me this afternoon." Neal called after her. Kel rolled her eyes at him.

"Have I ever forgotten?" She called over her shoulder as she made her way out of the room.

Salina followed her sister-in-law out of the room shortly after that, intent on preparing for her outing with Liam. Not that she was putting in extra effort or anything, because she wasn't.

**-Story Break-**

"Ready to get started?" Kel inquired when Raoul opened to door and waved her inside.

"Of course."Raoul replied stepping aside and allowing Kel to get a glimpse of the large amount of paperwork that needed to be done.

"...Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret volunteering for this?" She asked as she sat down.

"This will work out one of two ways," Raoul began. "Either you will be thrilled with finally being allowed to do something and grow to enjoy all this paperwork, or else you will be glad that you're not allowed to do anything because of how horribly boring this is, and in the future fake feeling ill in order to refuse further attempts on my part to coerce you into helping me with paperwork." He finished brightly.

"Where should I start?" She asked in reply and was quickly supplied with a stack of supply lists.

-Story Break-

"Are you ready to go?" Liam inquired when Salina opened the door.

"Yes," She replied as she shut the door behind her and followed the prince down the palace hallway. "Where exactly are we going?"

"I was thinking we would check out the marketplace, and a few of the shops." He replied.

"That sounds good," Salina agreed. "I'm just glad to get to go out and see more of Corus."

"Have you never been before?" Liam questioned as they walked.

"No, I've never really gone anywhere other than Masbolle and Queenscove. My parents prefer to stay at Masbolle, and with my brother's always off defending the kingdom, or whatever it is they do, and I don't really get much opportunity for exploring." She explained.

"Well, we'll fix that." He said with a smile.

**-Story Break-**

"How is everything going with the Own?" Kel inquired as they worked on the supply lists.

"We're training new recruits." Raoul said with a grimace.

"Dom told me."

"However, I have found a very effective method of dealing with the new people." Raoul said gleefully.

"And, that is?" Kel wondered.

"I have simply employed the lovely task known as delegation." He pronounced. "I am over here doing this paperwork, which ostensibly seems to be a tedious task, however if you've seen these recruits..."

"Dom compared them to second-year pages." Kel supplied helpfully. "Except he said they were worse than that."

"That about sums it up." Raoul nodded sagely. "However, Dom volunteered to lead their training for the next two weeks." He added.

"Why?" Kel asked. She knew her husband, and she knew he absolutely loathed training the new recruits.

"Well, I simply gave him the choice of either working with the new recruits or going to help with the new school Jon had built." Raoul responded innocently. "He practically begged me to keep the children away from him.

"Dom had a bit of a traumatic experience last night." Kel explained. "He watched James and Genevieve for Neal and Yuki..."

"I know." Raoul replied with a grin. "I heard from Jon, who heard from Shinko."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, you, my lord, are a very bad man."

**-Story Break-**

Salina and Liam strolled through the marketplace virtually unnoticed, few people recognized Liam as one of the princes, and they managed to remain largely undetected. Salina found a necklace she liked, which Liam convinced her to let him purchase for her.

At which point she insisted she be allowed to return the favor and bought him a book on Tortall's military history that she caught him admiring.

They got lunch from a bakery stand and ate as they walked around. Salina could honestly say it was probably the most fun she'd had since arriving at the palace. The two finally headed back after several hours in the marketplace looking around.

"Are you going to the ball next week, Lady Salina?" Liam inquired as they stood outside the door to her rooms.

"Yes, I think so." Salina replied.

"Would you like to dance the first two dances with me?" He asked shyly, looking down at her.

"I would love to." She said with a bright smile. "Thank you for bringing me with you today, I had a lot of fun."

"So did I." The prince agreed. "Well, I better be going. I'll see you later?"

"At dinner probably, if you're eating in the main dining hall." She answered.

"I'll be there." He said with a grin before heading down the hallway and promptly tripping over Mithros only knows what, possibly his own feet. "I think I may be as clumsy as you." He called to her as he turned conspicuously red.

"Well, at least you didn't knock anyone else down." Salina said by way of comfort.

"True." He agreed. "Well, I'll see you later." He concluded, this time managing to exit the hallway without tripping over anything.

********

-Story Break-

"What happened to you?" Kel inquired in an amused tone, when she entered their rooms to find her husband with a black eye, bruised arm and several small cuts.

"I don't want to talk about it." Dom replied sullenly.

"The new recruits got you didn't they?" She guessed.

Dom heaved a sigh. "I'll just say this, it is truly best to keep your distance from armed people who have absolutely no clue what they are doing."

Their conversation was interrupted by loud knocking at their door, which Kel was forced to go answer, largely because the knocking was accompanied by her best friend's voice demanding that she do so.

"Yes?" She inquired upon opening the door.

"You're late." He informed her before looking over her shoulder and spotting the battered looking Dom. "What happened to you?"

Dom grumbled something indistinctly.

"Okay then." Neal replied in response to Dom's oh-so-eloquent explanation. "Why don't you come with Kel and I to the appointment she is quite late for, and I will fix your eye while we're at it?" He suggested.

"Sounds good." Kel agreed for her husband, who dutifully got up and followed his wife and cousin out of the room.  
******  
A/N Review and what not. For although this update is an hour and a half late, it is now my 18th birthday, and I am old! Yes! And, you should all review, for reviews are the best present of all. Seriously. :P**

Girls:

**Arianna: 43 votes**

**Alessandria****: 40 votes**

**Zara: 21 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)**

**Isabella: 17 votes**

**Korissa-11 votes (suggested by Lady Grace of Masbolle)**

******Adrianna: 11 votes**

**Michaela: 11 votes**

**Mirabella: 6 Votes**

Boys:

**Jason: 45 votes**

**Adrian****: 37 votes**

**David: 27 votes**

**Nicolas: 18 votes**

**Daniel: 16 votes**

**Adam: 11 votes**

**Michael: 11 votes**

**Godsparents:**

**Girls:**

**Yuki: 52 Votes**

**Alanna: 26 Votes**

**Shinko: 15 Votes**

******Salina****: 12 Votes**

**Lalasa: 10 Votes**

**Buri: 9 Votes**

**Oranie: 6 Votes**

Boys:

**Raoul: 46 Votes**

**Neal: 42 Votes**

**Anders: 22 Votes**

**Roald: 13 Votes**

**Merric: 4 Votes**

**Wyldon: 4 Votes**

**Salina/?**

******Alan of Pirate's Swoop: 7 Votes**

**Merric of Hollyrose: 4 Votes**

**Liam of Conte: 4 Votes**

**Faleron of King's Reach: 2 Votes**

**Seaver of Tasride: 0 Votes**

**Esmond of Nicoline: 0 Votes**

**Prosper of Tameran: 0 Votes**

**Jasson of Conte: 0 Votes**


	24. Enter Alan of Pirate's Swoop

**A/N Hello, everyone, sorry for the updating delays. I am currently on vacation in Florida which is the cause of these delays. I should be getting back on schedule now. Thank you all for your patience.**

**Thanks to all Reviewers!**

**Dedication: meenA my 470th reviewer. In response to your review, it just seems like I am setting up for Liam right now. This chapter will begin to introduce Alan, and the earlier chapters had veiled hints toward Merric, there will be more Merric later on as well. I am going to try to feature each of the contenders to allow people to make their decisions. Anyway, thank you for your review! :)**

**Disclaimer: I own Dom's family only. **

Upon arriving in the infirmary Neal directed Kel to lie down, and told his cousin to take the available seat next to the bed. His hand glowed with his Gift, and he placed it just under Dom's eye. He held it there for a few minutes, and then pulled it away leaving behind a healed eye.

"Thanks, Neal." Dom replied when the healer had completed the task.

"You're welcome." Neal replied briskly. "Now, it's your turn." He said turning to his best friend. He placed his hands on her stomach and used his Gift to examine her for several minutes. "Your pregnancy is progressing well," He began. "However, now that you are entering your sixth month it is very important that you get a lot of rest, which is going to be difficult, as the triplets will begin to kick and move around more than previously. Avoid stress, I want you to take a nap every afternoon. Triplet pregnancies are almost always preterm, in order to ensure that they are born as close to term as possible it's important that you follow these regulations." Neal informed her.

"I will." Kel promised, despite her hatred of being forced to do nothing all day, she was certainly not going to risk premature labor. Also, the whole beign required to rest thing came with an excellent added benefit: she could get out of any social event she desired, which would allow her to gloat at Lord Raoul, and the rest of her friends who loathed the various balls they were forced to attend. She could begin to enjoy this. Yes, she certainly could.

"That's what I want to hear." Neal commended the lady knight. "Now, you are free to go."

Dom stood and extended a hand to his wife, helping her off the bed. She was increasingly having trouble getting around due to the weight of the triplets. Not that Dom would ever mention that, because he very much liked remaining in one piece and not being sliced into pieces by his wife's glaive, or sword, or whatever happened to be on hand.

Neal ushered them to the door, cheekily wishing his cousin luck with the new recruits. Dom scowled at him in response, before heading down the hall hand in hand with his wife.

**-Story Break-**

Salina was pulled from her correspondence by a knock on her door. She got up to answer it, figuring that it was most likely her sister-in-law, as both Dom and Neal pretty much just barged in whenever they wanted anything. Instead of Kel, she opened the door to find a reddish blond haired knight, who she recognized as Sir Alan of Pirate's Swoop. "Alan?" She asked.

"Salina?" He seemed shocked to see her, strange as he had been the one to knock on her door. "I was actually looking for your cousin, Neal." He added sheepishly.

"Oh, he's next door, on the right." Salina replied. "However, he's not there right now, he is actually working in the infirmary." She continued. "When did you get to the palace?"

"Just arrived from the southern border this morning, I thought I'd stop in and say hello to my mother's favorite former squire." Alan explained, he had met Salina years ago by virtue of his mother and her uncle being good friends, as well as her cousin serving as his mother's squire. The two had become close friends and exchanged correspondence while he was training to be a knight and she was at home learning to be a lady. She was just glad not to have been sent to a convent, her mother had hired tutors not wanting to be parted from her youngest child. Not that she had been to keen on allowing any of her other children to leave either.

"Isn't he her only former squire?" Salina inquired.

"Well, yes." Alan answered.

"Not much of a competition." Salina replied.

"True." He agreed. "Well, seeing as Neal doesn't appear to be available, would you like to go get dinner? I'll even listen to your marriage complaints?" He offered enticingly.

"I would love to." Salina replied. "And, I'm sure you will find that I am much better company than my cousin."

-Story Break-

Kel and Dom had just arrived in their rooms and were seated on the sofa discussing the day's events when a polite knocking sounded from the door. "Come in." Dom called out reluctant to get up from his comfortable position on the sofa.

Yuki entered the room. "We have decided to throw you a baby shower (1)." She announced to Kel.

"We being who?" Dom inquired while his wife starred in in horror.

"Well, Shinko and I were talking earlier, and it occured to us that you hadn't had one, which is a grievous oversight if I ever saw one." Yuki replied.

"That is quite alright." Kel jumped in.

"I insist." Yuki said firmly.

"You know I would really love to, but Neal has informed me that I am to spend my time resting." Kel evaded.

"Don't worry, I've just been to see him, and he seemed to think it was a splendid idea." Yuki replied. Kel swore her friend was getting much too much amusement from this if the twinkling of her eyes was anything to go by. Her face however remained Yamani smooth.

"I suppose, I'm having a baby shower then?" Kel managed to ask despite her qualms about what would probably be a horrifying part where a bunch of women gushed over her pregnancy. Raoul would be quite terrified at the very notion, almost as much as he had been when she had informed them how the Yamani's had parties where they wrote poetry about the appearance of cherry blossoms. He at least would be sympathetic to her plight. Albeit gleeful that as a man he would not be forced to attend. Kel would have to remember to hurt Neal in a painful way for approving of this party. She would have revenge. Mark her words.

**A/N (1) I have no idea if Tortall has baby-showers or not. But as there is evidence that they existed even in Ancient Egypt and Rome I figure that Tortall can have them as well.**

**The time for choosing the names and the godsparents is drawing near. Thus, I urge you all to make your votes known. The godsparents may be chosen as soon as the next chapter. As to that question it seems that children in Tortall have four godsparents each. Should the triplets have the same four godsparents? Or each have their own four? Or should I just give them each two? I know godsparents are supposed to raise you if your parents die, so it would seemingly make sense for them all to have the same ones. However, my mother gave all three of us different godparents, as did my aunt with her children, so idk. Let me know what you guys think.**

Girls:

**Arianna: 44 votes**

**Alessandria****: 42 votes**

**Zara: 22 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)**

**Isabella: 17 votes**

Boys:

**Jason: 46 votes**

**Adrian****: 39 votes**

**David: 28 votes**

**Nicolas: 18 votes**

**Daniel: 16 votes**

**Godsparents:**

**Girls:**

**Yuki: 53 Votes**

**Alanna: 26 Votes**

**Shinko: 15 Votes**

******Salina****: 13 Votes**

**Lalasa: 10 Votes**

**Buri: 9 Votes**

**Oranie: 7 Votes**

**Patricine: 2 Votes**

**Adalia: 1 Vote**

**Demadry: 1 Vote**

Boys:

**Raoul: 46 Votes**

**Neal: 43 Votes**

**Anders: 23 Votes**

**Roald: 14 Votes**

**Merric: 4 Votes**

**Wyldon: 4 Votes**

**Davlon: 1 Vote**

**Avinar: 1 Vote**

**Owen: 1 vote**

**George:1 Vote**

**Salina/?**

******Alan of Pirate's Swoop: 8 Votes**

**Merric of Hollyrose: 5 Votes**

**Liam of Conte: 5 Votes**

**Faleron of King's Reach: 2 Votes**

**Seaver of Tasride: 0 Votes**

**Esmond of Nicoline: 0 Votes**

**Prosper of Tameran: 0 Votes**

**Jasson of Conte: 0 Votes**

**You may have noticed that I have significantly narrowed the list of name options, this is to allow the votes to consolidate among the contending names. Vote for your favorites. ;) Review.**


	25. Kel's Revenge

**A/N Hello, everybody! I have returned from vacation so updates should return to their previously scheduled times! :)**

**Thanks to all Reviewers!**

**Dedication: to studentofwords, who has just caught up again with the story. :)**

**Disclaimer: It is ludicrous to read the microwave directions on the boxes of food you buy, as each one will have a disclaimer: 'THIS WILL VARY WITH YOUR MICROWAVE.' Loosely translated, this means, 'You're on your own, Bernice.'"-Erma Bombeck. (Nothing is owned by me.)**

"I loathe you." Kel announced storming into the infirmary, well, storming as well as a woman six-months pregnant with triplets could manage, meaning that it ended up more comical than menacing.

The knight she was addressing at least had the sense not to laugh. "Is something troubling you, Kel?" He asked innocently.

"Yes. You-you traitor!" She exclaimed jabbing her index finger into his chest.

"Ow." Neal mumbled. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He added loftily.

"Don't you?" Kel asked raising a single eyebrow.

"Didn't I just say that I don't?" Neal inquired. She glared at him sternly in reply.

"So, you have no idea about this baby shower that _you_ SAID I could go to?" Kel demanded.

"Er-would you believe me if I said no?" Neal wondered.

"Do you really have to ask that?" Kel countered.

"Apparently." Neal replied dryly.

Kel sent him a look that said that she was not at all amused.

"Besides, don't you think a baby shower will be fun? All your sisters, and Salina, Sonia, Princess Shinkokami, Yuki, your mother, Dom's mother, everyone all talking about pregnancy, and babies, and-"

"Stop!" Kel exclaimed, the horror on her face akin to the look on her former knight-master's face when told he had to catch up to the progress or be seated next to the most vicious match-making mother in each district.

"But, Kel, don't you want to hear about the games they'll make you play and how they'll fight over who is going to be a godsmother-"

"I will have revenge on you." Kel informed him solemnly. "Oh, yes, I will have revenge it will come when you least expect it, and you will regret this, mark my words." She finished before exiting the room leaving a severely shaken Neal behind.

**-Story Break-**

"Suppose you tell me how things are on the marriage front?" Alan of Pirate's Swoop inquired of the youngest Masbolle. "It's been awhile since your last letter."

"I know," Salina remarked ruefully. "I actually started writing you a few letters, but they seemed sort of pointless at least in comparison to what you're doing. I hardly think my attempts to escape boring ballrooms compare to border duty."

"You know I never get tired of hearing from you." Alan replied. "Besides border duty, yeah, really_ not _that glamorous, it mostly involves trekking through a bunch of mud and sleet on your way to snow and ice."

"That's what Davlon says." Salina answered. "He was back home for a short break, and it was non-stop complaint about the border, he loathes the cold." She said with a grin.

"I had the pleasure of his company while I was there." Alan replied with an answering grin on his own face.

"Ah. I'm truly very sorry." Salina said with mock-solemnity the effect rather ruined by the way she burst into laughter after a few seconds.

"You should have warned me." Alan replied sternly. "Now that we've established that the border is completely unglamorous, how about you tell me about your marriage woes? Betrothed to anyone yet?"

"No, not yet, thankfully." Salina replied. "I haven't met the right person yet, you know? I don't want to end up stuck with someone I don't love or maybe even like for the rest of my life, you know?"

"I know." Alan agreed. "Fortunately for me, my parents could care less if or when I get married."

"Which is as it should be." Salina replied with a decisive nod.

**-Story Break-**

"Shinko?" Kel called knocking lightly on the door to the princess' rooms. The door was opened by the princess herself as opposed to one of the servants who was usually present.

"I had a feeling I would be hearing from you soon," Shinko said by way of greeting standing aside to allow the lady knight entrance into the room. "After Yuki told you the news that is." As a Yamani princess Shinko was very good at hiding her thoughts, but even she could not disguise the amused look in her eyes.

"I will have revenge on Neal for this." Kel informed her.

"What did you have in mind?" The princess asked sitting down on the sofa and gesturing for Kel to do so as well.

"I want him invited." Kel replied simply.

"Kel, you are aware that men generally do not come to baby showers, right?" Shinko asked for clarification purposes.

"Oh, yes, but I am no ordinary woman, many of my closest friends are male, by virtue of knight training, and Neal being my very best friend since my page days simply has to be invited, who ever heard of having a baby shower and not inviting your best friend after all?" Kel replied a rare gleeful expression crossing her face as she imagined the horrified expression on Neal's face when he received his invitation.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side." Shinko remarked. "I will of course send Neal an invitation, I am certain he won't turn me down, it will after all be a _royal_ invitation, and much like my father-in-law's 'invitations' to balls really are more order than invitation." She added with an amused smile.

"Thank you, Shinko." Kel replied. "I knew you would help."

"Of course." The other woman answered. "Few things could provide me with greater amusement, and I'm sure Neal will absolutely love being the only male there."

"As am I." Kel agreed. "I told him he would regret this. Yes, I did. So, it's really his own fault." The lady knight added.

"On that note, why don't we have some tea and discuss the arrangements for your shower." Shinko concluded. Kel groaned in dismay, the princess only laughed and called for a servant to bring a tea tray in.

A/N Short, I know, I apologize. Review anyway. ;)

**Girls: We are now down to three girls names, you will note that the top two names have reached a tie! **

**Arianna: 46 votes**

**Alessandria****: 46 votes**

**Zara: 25 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)**

**Boys:**

**Jason: 48 votes**

**Adrian****: 42 votes**

**David: 30 votes**

**Nicolas: 18 votes**

**Girl Godsparents:**

**Yuki: 58 Votes**

**Alanna: 29 Votes**

**Shinko: 16 Votes**

******Salina****: 15 Votes**

**Lalasa: 12 Votes**

**Buri: 9 Votes**

**Oranie: 9 Votes**

**Patricine: 2 Votes**

**Adalia: 1 Vote**

**Demadry: 1 Vote**

**Boy Godsparents:**

**Raoul: 49 Votes**

**Neal: 48 Votes**

**Anders: 26 Votes**

**Roald: 18 Votes**

**Merric: 4 Votes**

**Wyldon: 5 Votes**

**Tobe: 2 Votes**

**Davlon: 1 Vote**

**Avinar: 1 Vote**

**Owen: 1 vote**

**George:1 Vote**

**Salina/?**

******Alan of Pirate's Swoop: 9 Votes**

**Liam of Conte: 8 Votes**

**Merric of Hollyrose: 5 Votes**

**Faleron of King's Reach: 2 Votes**

**Seaver of Tasride: 0 Votes**

**Esmond of Nicoline: 0 Votes**

**Prosper of Tameran: 0 Votes**

**Jasson of Conte: 0 Votes**

**Review!**


	26. Neal's Reaction

**A/N This chapter was a lot of fun to write mostly because I rather enjoy tormenting Neal. :P**

**Thanks to all Reviewers!**

**Dedication: to GroupOfRandomPeople, don't worry it wasn't any trouble, I counted all your reviews. :) I'm glad that you're all enjoying the story.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. :D**

Kel had found recently that she very much enjoyed gloating; she knew it was considered poor sportsmanship and everything, and she would never do it to another knight upon beating him in a joust or something of the like, but she absolutely could not resist the feeling of glee that erupted when Neal stormed into her rooms.

Dom wasn't there, Raoul and Third Company had been called off to help with repairs after bandits had raided a village a days travel from Corus. Kel predicted he would be back within a week at most.

"How could you?" Neal began dramatically upon making his entrance into the rooms. Kel was currently in the process of searching for a missing shoe under the bed, didn't deign to reply. "Oi, Kel," Neal repeated. "It totally ruins my dramatic pronouncements if you don't even pay attention." Neal said sternly.

She sat back, resting on her heels and glared up at him. "I'm kind of in the middle of something, Neal."

"I can see that." Neal said an amused tone briefly cutting through whatever annoyance it was that brought him to her rooms (although, Kel had a fairly strong notion of what was bothering him). "Besides, it's not good for you to be crawling around like that, and I bet you can't even get up off the floor."

Kel scowled at him, although looking down at her six-months-pregnant-with-triplets-stomach she had an uneasy feeling he was correct. "Just help me up." She ordered.

Her best friend strolled over to her and hauled her up from the floor. "Sit down and rest, will you?" He requested.

Kel rolled her eyes but complied, settling down on the sofa. When he didn't immediately pick up his tirade again, she felt obligated to prompt him. "You were saying...?"

"What?" He asked with a confused expression.

"Something about 'how could I do this to you?'" Kel offered.

"Oh! Oh, yes!" Neal exclaimed excitedly. "That's exactly correct." He agreed. "How could you do this to me?"

"You'll have to be more specific." Kel replied dutifully carrying on her role in his dramatic announcement. She would say this for her best friend; life with Neal was seldom dull.

"Look at this!" Neal said pulling a square of white paper from his breeches' pocket and waving it spastically in Kel's face.

"Yes, that is a sheet of paper." Kel agreed.

Neal made an inarticulate noise of rage or exasperation; she wasn't entirely which one it was. Perhaps both. Was it possible to be both enraged and exasperated? Now there was a question to ponder...

"Are you even listening to me?" Neal's voice demanded.

_Well, no. _Kel thought, but somehow she didn't think that was what Neal was going for. "Could you repeat that, please?" She asked politely.

Neal sighed and ran his hands through his hair making it look quite a mess. "This is not a sheet of paper, it's an invitation!" Neal corrected.

"Technically," Kel began. "That is an invitation printed on a _piece of paper_."

She was having way too much fun with this.

Neal scowled at her but didn't comment on the remark. "Do you know what this invitation is for?" He asked sternly.

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me." Kel said brightly.

"It is an invitation to the baby shower of one Lady Keladry of Masbolle."

"Is it, really?" Kel asked adopting an expression of shock and wide-eyed innocence.

"So, again, I say to you, how could you do this to me?"

"Technically, your wife and Princess Shinkokami are in charge of the invitations and the entire baby shower, so if you have a complaint to make you should really go talk to one of them." Kel replied benignly.

"I loathe you." Neal replied with a glare.

She was unfazed by that profession. "Of course you do." She agreed. "I warned you that I would have my revenge, I told you that you would regret approving this party, but did you listen to me?" She demanded. "No, you did not. Thus, I find that last evening I went to see my dear, old friend Shinko and told her that I positively could not have my baby shower without my best friend ever."

"Wasn't it enough that one of us suffers?" Neal asked.

"Of course not." Kel replied frankly. "As the saying goes, 'misery loves company,' although I find that I have become a great deal less miserable ever since my conversation with Shinko last night."

"You hate me, don't you?" Neal demanded.

"No," Kel answered simply. "I simply enjoy seeing you suffer. Besides, you started it."

"Remind me never to start anything with you ever again." Neal muttered.

"Oh, I will. You can be sure of that." Kel agreed. "Although, I'm sure that you will not listen." She added.

"I listen all the time." Neal protested.

Kel eyed him skeptically.

"I do." Neal insisted. "I just frequently choose to ignore those things which I have listened to." He explained loftily.

"Ah. Is that all?" Kel inquired.

"Quite." The healer replied. "Although, I will add that I have many ways of getting my revenge against you for this little party invitation."

"I thought you said that you weren't going to start anything with me anymore?" Kel asked. "I thought you'd last longer than a minute." She remarked. "Ten at least."

"This doesn't count," Neal explained. "This war has already begun, and you may have won the battle, but I shall win the war!" He pronounced turning on his heel and storming from the room. He was barely out the door when he turned around and came back in. "Don't forget to rest, I expect you to take a thirty minute nap every afternoon." He ordered.

"I will." Kel promised.

He eyed her sternly to make sure that she was actually planning to listen to him, before he turned and left the room for good this time. Kel was left to laugh at her friend, and begin plotting new ways to win their apparent war.

**A/N Review!**

**Girl Names:**

**Alessandria****: 54 votes**

**Arianna: 49 votes**

**Zara: 28 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)**

**Boy Names:**

**Jason: 59 votes**

**Adrian****: 46 votes**

**David: 31 votes**

**Nicolas: 20 votes**

**Girl Godsparents:**

**Yuki: 62 Votes**

**Alanna: 29 Votes**

**Shinko: 17 Votes**

******Salina****: 16 Votes**

**Lalasa: 12 Votes**

**Oranie: 10 Votes**

**Buri: 9 Votes**

**Boy Godsparents:**

**Raoul: 52 Votes**

**Neal: 50 Votes**

**Anders: 27 Votes**

**Roald: 19 Votes**

**Merric: 4 Votes**

**Wyldon: 5 Votes**

**Tobe: 2 Votes**

**Davlon: 1 Vote**

**Avinar: 1 Vote**

**Owen: 1 vote**

**George:1 Vote**

**Salina/?**

******Alan of Pirate's Swoop: 11 Votes**

**Liam of Conte: 11 Votes**

**Merric of Hollyrose: 5 Votes**

**Faleron of King's Reach: 2 Votes**

**Seaver of Tasride: 0 Votes**

**Esmond of Nicoline: 0 Votes**

**Prosper of Tameran: 0 Votes**

**Jasson of Conte: 0 Votes**


	27. Falling

**A/N Hello, everyone, I apologize that I didn't update last week, or update on time this week. But I update now, so it's all good.**

**Thanks to all reviewers!**

**Dedication: Soraya the All Speaker my 500****th**** reviewer! This achievement of five hundred reviews is the awesomest thing ever; I love all of you who reviewed throughout the story in order for this to happen.**

**Disclaimer: I own nada. :)**

"Lady Salina?"

Salina whirled around upon hearing the familiar masculine voice call out to her and almost tripped over the hemline of her skirt but managed to balance by grabbing on to a nearby window ledge.

To his credit, Liam didn't laugh at her and merely expressed his concern at her welfare and she had thanked him and assured him that she was in fact quite fine, and wondered why she couldn't manage to say hello to him without causing bodily injury to one or both of them.

"I thought I told you to call me, Salina." She reprimanded.

"Oh, uh, Salina then." Liam corrected himself looking vaguely flustered.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" She asked.

"I was just wondering if you were still coming to tonight's ball?" He asked.

"Yes," Salina responded automatically. "I have to come to all the balls, strict orders from my parents," She added.

He seemed disappointed by this answer for some reason.

"Not that I'm not looking forward to it," Salina hastened to assure him.

He seemed to brighten up at that response.

"I'm glad," He answered looking somewhat uncomfortable. Salina got the impression that he was slightly shy, which was fine because she could be outgoing enough for both of them.

"I look forward to dancing with you," She offered. "I've heard that you're actually good at it, which is more than welcome after having had my toes trod on by over half the men I usually dance with."

"I shall endeavor not to do so," Liam told her solemnly. "Although," He began with a grin. "With the frequency with which we seem to knock each other down it may be unavoidable." He warned.

"I'm willing to risk it." Salina informed him with a warm smile. "I have to be going though; I'm supposed to be meeting my cousin-in-law for lunch."

"Of course," Liam said stepping aside to allow Salina to reach the staircase. "Watch out for that-" Liam warned gesturing to a protruding flagstone that the palace staff was supposed to be fixing soon.

Unfortunately, his exclamation caused Salina to turn back to glance at him, and thus not pay attention to where she was going and trip over said loose stone, she would have tumbled down the staircase if Liam hadn't managed to grab her by the arm and pull her back, she did however roll her ankle in the course of the almost fall.

She really wondered why she could not manage to talk to him without making a total fool of herself. He was really good about it though and helped her to the infirmary, where she had the vast misfortune to find that her cousin was on duty.

Upon finding that she wasn't critically injured, Neal couldn't help but tease her as he set about healing her ankle.

"_Fall_ for anyone lately?" He asked innocently.

Salina scowled at him but refrained from smacking him upside the head as she would have if Liam hadn't still been in the room.

"So, she'll be okay then?" Liam asked making a valiant effort to ignore Neal's blatant hints.

"Yes, she'll even be fine to go to the dance tonight." Neal nodded.

"I'm glad." Liam replied. "I will see you tonight then, Salina. I hope you are feeling alright." He concluded and with a short bow disappeared from the infirmary.

"Ooh, he called you Salina." Neal exclaimed as soon as the prince was out of ear shot.

Salina _did_ hit him over the head that time.

"I loathe you."

**-Story Break-**

Laughing wouldn't be appreciated by any of the people who had come to speak with her in the last few hours, but Kel was sorely tempted.

There had been a stream of visitors throughout the day starting with her former knight master who had stopped by in a rage demanding to know why the King had told him that Kel would not be forced to endure the latest in the string of balls alongside him.

Upon being informed by his former squire that she 'was resting' and therefore couldn't possibly attend the ball no matter how grieved she was to be missing it, Raoul had thrown up his hands in a dramatic gesture that would have made Neal at his most dramatic proud, and went off to find his wife and complain about the injustice in the world.

She had managed not to laugh at him just barely, but only just.

After that Salina had come in exclaiming inarticulately about stupid, insufferable cousins, and how her hair wouldn't do what she wanted it to, how her dress looked terrible, something else about princes that Kel didn't quite hear, and was just in general succeeding in proving that she was in fact closely related to Neal.

Kel had rather wondered at Salina coming to her with wardrobe issues considering that well, Kel really didn't know or care much about how well her dresses lay, or whether her hair was arranged perfectly. Ordinarily, she didn't think Salina did either, so something had to be bothering her, but that was a question for another day. She had sent Salina off to see Lalasa who could surely fix whatever imaginary problems Salina thought her wardrobe had.

After that Shinko had stopped by to tell the lady knight about the massive crush that her brother-in-law apparently had on Kel's sister-in-law. Kel got the whole twisted ankle story out of Shinko who had heard it from Liam. She resolved to get extra revenge on Neal in their little war in order to make it up to her sister-in-law.

For now she would settle for sitting at home and enjoying the fact that all her friends were 'enjoying' the latest ball that the king forced them all to attend.

Yes, life was good, for Lady Knight Keladry of Masbolle.

A/N Review!

Girls:

**Alessandria: 57 votes**

**Arianna: 51 votes**

**Zara: 29 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)**

Boys:

**Jason: 60 votes**

**Adrian: 49 votes**

**David: 32 votes**

**Nicolas: 21 votes**

**Girls:**

**Yuki: 64 Votes**

**Alanna: 29 Votes**

**Shinko: 18 Votes**

**Salina: 17 Votes**

**Lalasa: 12 Votes**

**Oranie: 11 Votes**

**Buri: 10 Votes**

Boys:

**Raoul: 53 Votes**

**Neal: 52 Votes**

**Anders: 28 Votes**

**Roald: 21 Votes**

**Merric: 4 Votes**

**Wyldon: 5 Votes**

**Tobe: 2 Votes**

**Davlon: 1 Vote**

**Avinar: 1 Vote**

**Owen: 1 vote**

**George:1 Vote**

**Seaver: 1 Vote**

**Salina/?**

**Alan of Pirate's Swoop: 13 Votes**

**Liam of Conte: 12 Votes**

**Merric of Hollyrose: 5 Votes**

**Faleron of King's Reach: 2 Votes**

**Seaver of Tasride: 0 Votes**

**Esmond of Nicoline: 0 Votes**

**Prosper of Tameran: 0 Votes**

**Jasson of Conte: 0 Votes**

**Review! Update next Monday!**


	28. Another Day, Another Ball

**A/N Hello, everybody, huge apologies for the lateness but I have returned with an update for you. :D**

**Thanks to all Reviewers!**

**Dedication: to Lady Shang1 for her review. :)**

**Disclaimer: I only own the characters you don't recognize ie. Salina, Dom's other siblings.**

"Do I have to go?" Dom demanded of his wife with a put upon sigh.

"I'm afraid so," Kel answered fighting to keep from laughing at the look of dismay on his face, thankfully her years of living in the Yamani court held out against her amusement.

"You're not going." Dom protested.

"Yes, well, I've been cleared from all social functions excluding that blasted baby shower." Kel replied.

"I won't have any fun without you there." The sergeant informed his wife.

"Nonsense," Kel protested. "Torment Neal, that's always fun for you."

"I suppose," Dom allowed. "But not as fun as being with you."

"I promise I won't have any fun while you're gone," Kel told him with mock solemnity.

"There's no need to go quite that far," Dom replied. "I'll settle for pining after me with extreme moroseness."

"If I'm busy being extremely morose how would I be having fun?"

"That can be a mystery for you to ponder for the next few hours when we are forcibly kept apart."

"Dom?"

"Yes, Kel?"

"Just go to the ball."

"One would think you were trying to get rid of me," Dom stated trying to seem put out, but the effect was rather ruined by the grin he couldn't manage to keep off his face.

"Yes, that's exactly it," Kel agreed. "You've uncovered my plot to get rid of you so that I can sneak off to train."

"Are you really?" Dom asked narrowing his eyes at her.

"Mithros no." Kel replied. "Not even I am going to sneak off at six and a half months pregnant with triplets to train."

"Just making sure." Dom answered. "Now I had better be going, I probably will have to drag my lord from his rooms and that takes time, especially since Buri isn't here." He added with a wince.

"Good luck," Kel told him with a commiserate shudder thinking back over her time with Raoul and his severe aversion to all social events.

"One last kiss before I go to my doom," Dom requested leaning down to capture his wife's lips in a kiss before calling out a last goodbye and heading out the door.

**-Story Break-**

Salina was currently seated with Lady Margarry at a table in the far corner of the ballroom which was their chosen spot to hide from suitors, not that Lady Margarry had to worry about it anymore being engaged to Owen, but she was willing to oblige her friend in her desire to hide from many of the less than desirable gentlemen.

As with the last ball, Lady Jaquetta of Naxen and Alexandra HaMinch were also making up their table, although at present they were off dancing leaving Salina alone with Margarry.

The dancing had not yet begun, so people were mostly talking amongst themselves as they waited for the ball to officially begin. Salina had seen her brother come in with a disgruntled looking Lord Raoul a few minutes earlier, and she could spy Neal and Yuki in conversation with her uncle a little ways off from her.

She spotted Alan talking to his mother on the other end of the room. She thought he might have looked annoyed but she couldn't be sure from the distance.

Liam was seated at the head table in between Shinko and Jasson. He looked bored from what Salina could see but he spied her looking at him and seemed to brighten up slightly, he leaned around Shinko to call something to his parents. She saw the king shake his head, but then the queen gave him a look and apparently whatever it said seemed to be enough for the king because he waved Liam off. She looked away back toward Lady Margarry when Liam started to make his way over to her.

"Good evening Salina, Lady Margarry," Liam greeted bowing in greeting. Both Salina and Margarry stood up to curtsy to the prince and Salina barely managed to hold in a groan of dismay when she saw Margarry raising an eyebrow at her in response to the absence of a title in Liam's address to her. "Would it be all right if I borrowed Salina for a short while?" He requested of Margarry.

"Oh, no, go right ahead, your highness." Margarry replied covering her grin behind her fan.

"Would you care to dance then, Salina?"

"I would love to," Salina replied allowing Liam to lead her onto the dance floor.

They danced four dances together instead of the two that they had originally intended. After that Liam had needed to go off to talk to foreign dignitaries and other noble families, and Salina had gone off to find Margarry.

Unfortunately, she spotted her friend talking with her father and her fiancé, so Salina decided she would seek out Alan for entertainment, a choice she would shortly come to regret.

"I heard you and Prince Liam are quite close." Alan remarked nonchalantly.

"You've been talking to Neal," Salina replied flatly. "He gossips more than all the ladies I know, I swear."

"He was just catching me up on the news," Alan replied in her cousin's defense.

"Liam and I-"

"Liam?" The knight inquired raising an eyebrow at her.

"Shut up," Salina glared at him. "He asked me to call him Liam, I told him to call me Salina, end of story. I call you Alan and everyone doesn't go around insinuating that we have some kind of secret romance going on."

"Sure, sure," Alan agreed holding up his hands in a show of surrender. "Let me make it up to you."

"Dance with me," Salina requested a vaguely evil grin spreading across her face.

"I hate dancing. You know that." Alan groaned theatrically.

"So I do." Salina agreed. "However, you're the one who wanted to make it up to me, so here we are."

"Fine, let's dance."

"Do try to sound less like you're being escorted to an execution." She commanded lightly.

"No one in my family likes these balls." Alan pointed out in his defense as she pulled him towards the dance floor.

"No one really likes the balls, but the lot of you, only make it worse by sitting in the corners moping about and plotting revenge." Salina pointed out logically.

"I hate it when you make sense." Alan replied grudgingly.

"Get used to it."

**-Story Break-**

"You have been no fun at all tonight," Neal complained to his cousin. "You haven't even bothered to annoy me once.

"Tormenting you isn't nearly as fun without Kel here." Dom replied sulkily.

"I don't really see what one has to do with the other, but okay, sure." Neal agreed.

"I don't get why I have to come here if she's not."

"You went to balls alone for years before you married Kel or were even involved with her." Neal pointed out.

"Yes, and I had no fun then either," Dom responded.

"I sometimes think that the king only makes us all come to these things because he thinks it's funny to watch us all suffer." Neal noted. "Seriously, you are absolutely no fun at all when you're busy pining over Kel. It's just a few hours."

"I haven't seen her that much lately." Dom defended.

"You can always try sneaking out the back way, like you did at the last ball."

"I did no such thing," Dom replied in a lofty tone.

"We all know you and Kel snuck out so there's no point in hiding it." His cousin replied. "Now, seriously, I am going to go find my lovely wife, and I suggest you just sneak away before I am forced to listen to any more of your complaints about missing Kel."

"I would never do such a thing." Dom protested.

Neal just waved a goodbye at his cousin and headed across the room to where he had last seen his wife. Ten minutes later he spotted Dom sneaking out a side door.

**A/N Review! Woot! **

**So, do you guys know that Jonathan wants to marry Liam off to someone from Scanra? Personally I think he's a bit ridiculous with these forced arranged marriages for all his children. Seriously, what kind of alliance can they really have with Scanra considering that excluding Maggur they've never really had a solid king, and leadership switches so often it's not like any alliance would really be very secure. Thus, if Salina and Liam end up together I'll just have Liam basically tell his father to stick it, only not in those words. :P**

**Girls:**

**Alessandria: 58 votes**

**Arianna: 55 votes**

**Zara: 31 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)**

Boys:

**Jason: 62 votes**

**Adrian: 51 votes**

**David: 36 votes**

**Nicolas: 22 votes**

**Godsparents:**

**Girls:**

**Yuki: 68 Votes**

**Alanna: 29 Votes**

**Shinko: 20 Votes**

**Salina: 18 Votes**

**Lalasa: 12 Votes**

**Oranie: 12 Votes**

**Buri: 10 Votes**

**Patricine: 2 Votes**

**Adalia: 1 Vote**

**Demadry: 1 Vote**

Boys:

**Raoul: 55 Votes**

**Neal: 55 Votes**

**Anders: 29 Votes**

**Roald: 23 Votes**

**Merric: 4 Votes**

**Wyldon: 5 Votes**

**Tobe: 2 Votes**

**Davlon: 1 Vote**

**Avinar: 1 Vote**

**Owen: 1 vote**

**George:1 Vote**

**Seaver: 1 Vote**

**Salina/?**

**Liam of Conte: 18 Votes**

**Alan of Pirate's Swoop: 16 Votes**

**Merric of Hollyrose: 5 Votes**

**Faleron of King's Reach: 2 Votes**

**Review!**


	29. More Neal Torment

**A/N Hello everyone here is the update that should've occurred on Monday but didn't because this has been a super busy week for me because I am leaving for school on Saturday. On that note, I will be working out a new update schedule that will probably make updates only occur once every two weeks as opposed to every week.**

**Thanks to all Reviewers!**

**Dedication: To Kalliana Corus for her lovely review. :D**

**Disclaimer: I own Salina and Dom's other siblings only. **

"Ah, Sir Nealan just the man I wanted to see," Shinko exclaimed upon spotting Neal exiting the infirmary. "I was just coming to see you actually."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but why?" Neal asked warily.

"I was just with Kel trying to discuss plans for the baby shower with her, she said she was feeling very tired, and said that I should come to you to discuss the plans, she said that as her best friend you would know exactly how she would like everything, so I am commandeering you to go over _every single minute_ detail of the shower plans." Shinko informed Neal.

Neal felt faint. "If Kel's really feeling that exhausted maybe I should go check on her," Neal said hopefully.

"Kel thought you would feel that way, so she said to tell you that Lady Alanna was going to stop by to check on her, they're going to have lunch together." The princess answered with a tone which had she not been a Yamani would have been positively gleeful.

"As much as I would love to help, and really I would," Neal hastened to assure her. "I really am quite busy, I have uh, work to do in the infirmary."

"But weren't you just leaving the infirmary?" Shinko questioned.

"Oh, I guess I was," Neal admitted his mind searching for another excuse.

"Excellent, I was thinking we could start with the party favors," Shinko said steering Neal in the direction of her suite which was currently filled with several other women all animatedly discussing baby shower details.

Needless to say, when Lady Knight Keladry of Masbolle declares war it is best just to surrender before she instills severe mental and physical anguish. Unfortunately, Neal had yet to realize this.

Four hours later when he finally managed to escape with a splitting headache he stormed into his friend's suite without knocking and launched into a long tirade about the torture she had put him through.

Kel who had been sitting on the couch reading a book didn't even look up.

"Are you even listening to me?" Neal demanded.

"Well, actually no," Kel admitted. "But you did bring this on yourself when you decided to declare war on me."

"You sent me to be locked up with six women to go over _baby shower_ details," Neal positively screeched (although he would deny being able to achieve the pitch necessary for such a tone), "That is just cruel."

"Give up yet?" Kel asked raising an eyebrow at her friend.

"Of course not." Neal scoffed.

"I thought so." Kel replied. "Now, if there's nothing else I was in the middle of something," Kel gestured to the book in her lap.

"You look tired," Neal commented.

"I'm fine." Kel said firmly before he could get any ideas.

"Just take it easy, all right?" Neal requested.

"I will," Kel said resisting the urge to roll her eyes at him. "Don't you have revenge to be planning?"

"That's true," Neal admitted. "And rest assured that my revenge will be utterly awe-inspiring. You will surrender instantly."

"I'm sure I will." That time Kel did roll her eyes at him.

"I have to be going, I will see you later, until then I expect you to be resting." Neal said backing out the door before she had time to reply.

**-Story Break-**

Salina had arisen late that day exhausted from the ball, she finally stumbled out of bed shortly before noon, at which point she realized that she was thirty minutes late for the lunch da, uh, meeting she had planned with Alan.

She cursed quietly to herself as she hurriedly dressed and attempted to arrange her hair into something somewhat presentable. She soon gave it up as a lost cause and hurriedly exited her room and positively sprinted down the corridor and collide into a very solid something (it turned out to be a stone statue upon further investigation) that knocked her to the ground. "This is _not_ my day." She muttered.

"Salina?"

Said girl groaned upon hearing her name spoken by the very familiar voice when she was pretty sure she looked ridiculously horrible and had once again made an utter fool of herself. "Hi, Liam." She replied from her position on the floor.

"Need a hand?" He inquired holding one out to her.

"Thank you." Salina said quietly, smiling faintly at him.

"No problem," Liam said with a shrug. "Where were you off to in such a hurry?"

"Oh," Salina blinked. "I was going to meet Alan, er, Sir Alan of Pirate's Swoop that is, I'm supposed to be meeting him for lunch, and I am really quite late."

"Oh." Liam's smile froze which Salina found to be odd given that she knew that the members of the royal family and the Lioness' children were rumored to be quite close. "I shouldn't keep you then," He added.

"Yes, I suppose not," Salina agreed. "I had better be going, but it was nice talking to you, Liam, and I very much enjoyed dancing with you last night." She said already heading down the hallway.

"Me too." Liam whispered quietly once she had disappeared from sight.

**-Story Break-**

"Alan!" Salina said spotting the familiar reddish blond head seated at a table clearly waiting for her. "I overslept,"

"I can see that," Alan replied in an amused tone taking in her bedraggled appearance.

"Shut up." Salina scowled.

"Although, given what I saw of Neal when he was my mom's squire I guess it must run in the family." Alan continued. "Haven't you ever heard of early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise?"

Salina waved his comment off. "Doesn't apply, I'm clearly not a man."

"It's meant to be neutral." Alan replied.

"Well, it doesn't sound it, so I will disregard it just the same." Salina replied brightly. "Now let's get some breakfast, er, lunch, or whatever it is now."

"Maybe I should come wake you up from now on at a more reasonable hour, like dawn?" Alan suggested evilly.

"Don't you dare," Salina's eyes widened in horror. "Being allowed to sleep in is one of the few perks afforded as an unmarried lady."

"What are you going to do about it?" Alan challenged leaning back in his seat and raising an eyebrow at her.

Salina leaned across the table and whispered something in his ear.

Alan paled dramatically. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would." Salina responded gleefully.

"Fine, I surrender." Alan said holding his hands up in defeat.

"You're much smarter than my cousin," Salina commended him. "He is currently engaged in a war with my sister-in-law that will inevitably end in his defeat."

Alan winced sympathetically at the thought.

"Exactly." Salina said with a nod. "Now let's go get some food."

**A/N I received a review today that requested jealous!Liam in this chapter, so there we have it. Of course Liam didn't exactly jump into a jealous rage but, it is a bit early in his non-relationship with Salina for that, haha. :P**

Girls:

**Alessandria: 61 votes**

**Arianna: 58 votes**

**Zara: 33 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)**

Boys:

**Jason: 63 votes**

**Adrian: 55 votes**

**David: 38 votes**

**Nicolas: 23 votes**

**Girls:**

**Yuki: 71 Votes**

**Alanna: 31 Votes**

**Shinko: 22 Votes**

**Salina: 19 Votes**

**Lalasa: 13 Votes**

**Oranie: 13 Votes**

**Buri: 10 Votes**

Boys:

**Raoul: 58 Votes**

**Neal: 58 Votes**

**Anders: 31 Votes**

**Roald: 24 Votes**

**Merric: 4 Votes**

**Wyldon: 5 Votes**

**Tobe: 3 Votes**

**Salina/?**

**Liam of Conte: 22 Votes**

**Alan of Pirate's Swoop: 20 Votes**

**Merric of Hollyrose: 5 Votes**

**Review!**


	30. Scowls, Smiles and Wiles

**A/N Hello, everyone, as usual mucho apologies for the lateness of this update. College=hard=blah, blah, blah it's not like you really want to read these excuses anyway, haha.**

**Thanks to all Reviewers!**

**Dedication: To Signora Ted for the large amount of reviews! :)**

**Disclaimer: I only own Salina as well as Dom's other siblings. **

When Lady Knight Keladry of Masbolle woke up that morning she knew it was going to be a very bad day. Dom had been called out along with the rest of third company late last night to weed out a nest of spidren that had been stealing animals from local farms. She hated waking up alone, and she knew that it was an inevitable part of life considering both of their jobs, but that didn't make it any less unpleasant, especially when she was stuck resting at home like a good little girl. Her back ached, she hadn't seen her feet in weeks, and today was not only the day of her dreaded baby shower it was also the day of her seven month appointment with Neal, which Dom would not be present for.

Needless, to say she was more than a little grouchy when Shinko and Yuki burst into her room just as she was contemplating making the arduous journey to the dining hall for breakfast.

"Time to start getting ready!" Shinko announced brightly.

Kel glared.

The princess was unfazed.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Yuki noted lightly. "Have you eaten yet?" She asked.

"No, I was just about to do that, before you two arrived."

Both of the Yamanis looked doubtfully at Kel's very pregnant stomach, clearly expressing the idea that they thought it doubtful she would be going anywhere without assistance.

"Tell you what, why don't we head over to my rooms and I'll have some food brought up, and we can get ready for the shower over there." Shinko suggested.

"Okay," Kel agreed. "I just need to get up from here…"

Both Yamani women immediately rushed forth to help the lady knight up from the sofa. Kel winced upon standing and her hand immediately flew to her belly.

"Are you alright?" Yuki asked worriedly.

"Fine, fine." Kel waved off her concern. "They are just kicking; it seems my children are a very active bunch."

"Are you quite certain?" Shinko asked. "If you're really tired we can call off the shower," she offered.

Kel frowned and pondered the merits of getting out of this baby shower which she was pretty sure would be on par with the worst of Jonathon's balls, and decided that she wasn't going to back out on false pretenses (and she really was _fine_), besides she had to face her fears, and she had worked so hard to torment Neal with this event and it would be a shame to let all of that fall by the wayside.

"Quite sure." Kel agreed.

"All right then," Yuki said, "Let's go!"

**-Break-**

"I think it's time we started making some serious arrangements for Liam," Jonathon noted thoughtfully to Thayet.

"I understand that _you_ think Scanra is a good idea, but frankly that throne is consistently unstable if what we just saw was any indication, and while Liam wouldn't actually be moving to Scanra, I don't see where the marriage would be likely to provide much in the way of long term alliances, it might calm our relations for a few years, but once the family falls out of power we're right back where we started, and we've forced our son into-"

"Is this about the Masbolle girl?" Jon interrupted gravely. "It's just a crush, and as a prince Liam has a duty to fulfill."

"Don't lecture to me about duty, Jonathon." Thayet replied coolly. "We got lucky with Roald and Kally, but they were also unattached, Liam seems to really like this girl. And, while you speak so nobly of duty do not forget that you made your own decision."

Jonathon frowned at this comment. "Liam understands his duty."

"That doesn't mean he likes it," Thayet snapped.

"How can I allow him to marry for love, and turn around and tell his siblings that they have no choice in the matter?" Jonathon asked.

"Well, perhaps you shouldn't be doing that in the first place."

"In an ideal world perhaps not, but we need to face facts, and the fact is that Tortall needs strong allegiances, which can be best secured through marriage," Jon countered.

"Liam is not going to be ruling Tortall, he hasn't made any such commitment the way Roald has, or the way you did, so to expect all of our younger children to exist simply to secure marital allegiances-"

"That's not fair, you know that isn't true." The king exclaimed.

"Maybe it's not, but you're not being fair either, Liam should have the right to make his own decision. If he falls in love with this girl, he should have the right to marry her. He should have the chance to fall in love; I want that for my children."

"I want that too," Jon said. "But, at the same time I know that I have to balance what I want with what is best for the realm. They need to know that too."

**-Break-**

Salina felt like she was floating on air, she had awoken and gone to breakfast only to run into Liam –figuratively this time, than Mithros-and they had packed up some food and had a picnic in the palace garden.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Liam ventured as they packed up the remainders of their meal in the basket the palace staff had given them.

"I would love to," Salina said in a tone that sounded almost shy, which was positively ridiculous because Salina was _never_ shy.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Liam spoke. "So, how was your er, date with Alan?" He choked out.

She looked at him sharply. "Date? Ha. As if. Alan and I are just very good friends, nothing more, nothing less."

"Oh," Liam replied mildly, although she noticed that it seemed as though a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"What about you?" Salina asked impetuously.

"Me?" Liam asked looking bewildered.

"Is there a special someone?" She strove to sound nonchalant, (she was fairly sure she failed miserably).

"No, but my father wants to see me married off to a Scanran princess or noble or something, I have no idea precisely the plan, as it seems every time I turn around the country has a new leader."

He sounded somewhat bitter. It was the first time she had ever heard him criticize his parents, but granted she hadn't known him all that long. Salina also tried to ignore the feeling of a heavy weight settling into her stomach like lead at the notion of him getting married.

"They do seem pretty unstable," she agreed in what she hoped was a casual tone.

She was so busy looking at him, trying to read his reactions that she didn't notice the upended root until it was too late. Salina mentally cursed as she prepared to meet the ground, but the impact never came, instead she found herself encased in the prince's arms.

"Thank you." She said quietly as he set her back on her feet. "It seems I can't manage to stay on my feet around you." An annoying voice in the back of her mind that sounded suspiciously like Neal cackled 'fall for anyone lately?'

Salina cleared her throat loudly to tune out the voice and break up the strange heaviness that seemed to be filling the air around them.

"You are welcome." Liam said formally-awkwardly.

"Let's keep going shall we?" Salina asked, and for some reason that was completely unfathomable to her in her utterly bemused state she grabbed his hand and tugged him forward.

She expected him to pull away, or turn limp or something, what she did not expect him to do was intertwine his fingers with hers.

"There's a nice pond over this way," Liam explained gesturing to a path on the left. "There should be some baby ducklings this time of year; perhaps we could supply them with our extra bread?" He suggested.

"I would love to," Salina agreed allowing him to take the lead and tug her toward the pond.

The logical part of her brain was screaming that she was setting herself up for heart break, but she silenced that voice as she so often did and decided that maybe spontaneity was actually the better part of valor and certainly of romance, if this could be called that.

**A/N Review! My school ends on Friday, and while I will be doing an internship this summer I should definitely be able to update on a far more regular basis. **

**Girls:**

Alessandria: 63 votes

Arianna: 63 votes

**Boys:**

Jason: 63 votes

Adrian: 61 votes

David: 41 votes

Nicolas: 25 votes

**Godsparents:**

**Girls:**

Yuki: 75 Votes

Alanna: 35 Votes

Shinko: 23 Votes

Salina: 21 Votes

Lalasa: 13 Votes

Oranie: 15 Votes

Buri: 10 Votes

**Boys:**

Raoul: 61 Votes

Neal: 63 Votes

Anders: 33 Votes

Roald: 26 Votes

Merric: 4 Votes

Wyldon: 6 Votes

Tobe: 3 Votes

**Salina/?**

Liam of Conte: 32 Votes

Alan of Pirate's Swoop: 25 Votes

**Next chapter: Baby shower, a big announcement, and more! Review and motivate me to write it. Haha. **


	31. Complications

**A/N Hello, everyone, I am very sorry for the long wait! I have had so many technical issues this summer that I cannot even begin to describe them all. If I ever have to get on the phone with Dell again I think I might actually cry. :P**

**Thanks to all Reviewers!**

**Dedication: To No Name, my sixth hundredth reviewer. I can't believe I have gotten so many reviews for this story, thank you to each and every one of you!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

"I'm fine, Neal," Kel insisted as her friend hoisted her to her feet. "I just got a little dizzy that's all-"

Neal waved off her comments keeping hold of her in case she decided to take another nosedive. "Infirmary. _Now_." He insisted.

"But, the baby shower, you guys put so much work into it-" Kel looked apologetically at Yuki and Shinko who immediately shook their heads.

"Your health comes first, Kel, now be a good little patient, and go with Neal," Shinko commanded in an imperious tone.

"Do you need any help getting to the infirmary?" Yuki asked.

"No, we should be fine," Neal answered.

"We will let all of the guests know, we can always reschedule," Shinko assured Kel as Neal helped her to the door.

A few minutes later, the lady knight found herself in the infirmary undergoing an exam from a still fuming Neal.

"If you didn't feel well you should have told someone, Kel," Neal said sternly.

"I felt fine," Kel insisted.

Neal sighed heavily.

"Everything's okay, isn't it?" Kel asked in a small voice. She was used to Neal just being dramatic but he seemed a little bit more er, Healer-y than usual.

"The babies are fine, currently, but your iron is low, which is probably what caused your dizziness, so I'm going to prescribe a supplement, and your blood pressure is a little high." Neal paused. "You aren't going to like what I have to say, Kel."

"Just tell me, Neal." Kel requested fixing hazel eyes on her friend.

"I'm prescribing bed rest."

"Bed rest?" Kel asked. "For a day or two? I can manage that."

"No, Kel, not for a day or two, for the duration of your pregnancy." Neal clarified gently. "In pregnancies involving multiples, bed rest is generally prescribed at some point during the final trimester even if there haven't been any other complications, and considering what just happened I think it would be the best thing for you."

To Neal's horror his best friend suddenly burst into tears. Kel _never_ cried. Neal really wished Dom was here. Of all the times for Dom to be called away with the Own...

Neal patted her hand soothingly. "Everything is going to be fine," It wasn't often that he was the one acting as the calming presence in their friendship.

"I just -hic- feel like I'm losing control over everything." Kel managed to choke out.

"I know this has to be hard for you Kel, but you need to calm down, take some deep breaths for me," Neal requested.

The lady knight made a valiant effort to adhere to his instructions and after a few minutes her tears had abated and her breathing evened out. "If only the Yamanis could see me now," Kel said with a sigh.

"Heightened emotions are naturally during pregnancy," Neal informed her.

Kel glared.

"It's true." Neal said with a shrug. "Now, let's discuss the matter of bed rest again, I know that it's going to be hard for you, it's hard for most women, even ones nowhere near as active as you, but it doesn't need to be all bad, I'm sure Salina and Yuki will be happy to spend time with you, I'll be there whenever I can, and Dom will be back soon and then he will be as well."

Kel looked less than enthused.

"Well, at least you won't have to have the baby shower now..." Neal offered.

Kel smiled faintly at that. "Who thought you'd be the one finding silver linings, Meathead?"

"I resent that," Neal protested. "I am not negative, simply realistic."

"...You're certainly not realistic about your pessimistic tendencies." Kel contested.

"Hmmph." Neal harrumphed. "I shall ignore this horrible slight to my honor-"

"You have honor?" A new voice questioned, sounding shocked beyond all belief.

"Dom!" Kel brightened immediately. Dom strode over and kissed his wife in greeting, before straightening up and looking at Neal.

"I just got back; I was on my way to our rooms, when I ran into Yuki who sent me here, what happened?"

Neal recounted the incident in Shinko's rooms, and his recommendations. Dom squeezed his wife's hand comfortingly.

"Hey, bed rest doesn't have to be all bad," Dom hastened to assure his wife. "After all you'll get to spend plenty of time in bed...with me." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Neal looked disgusted.

Only years of Yamani training prevented Kel from turning horrible red. "_Dom_."

Her husband was completely unrepentant.

"Are you quite done with my lovely wife, Meathead-"

"That's Sir Meathead to you," Neal interjected.

"Ah, yes, are you quite done with my lovely wife, Sir Meathead, as I have been sadly bereft of her for days and while your company is simply marvelous I would prefer to be alone with her." Dom continued.

"Yes, you can leave," Neal agreed. "But, Kel, you are to stay in bed, you can get up to go to the bathroom, or to bathe, but you should be in bed other than that, and Dom it's your responsibility to keep her entertained."

"Yes, sir." Dom saluted. "Now, if you'll excuse us we'll just be on our way, but if you would be so good as to inform Princess Shinkokami that Kel's baby shower has to be cancelled that would be great."

Neal looked horrified at the prospect.

"Have fun!" Kel grinned as she allowed Dom to help her up and towards the door.

Neal scowled.

-Story Break-

"Are you all right, Kel? I heard about what happened," Salina demanded storming into her brother and sister-in-law's rooms without knocking.

"We could've been doing something you know," Dom said reproachfully.

Salina rolled her eyes but didn't dignify her brother with a further response. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Kel assured Salina. "I've just been confined to bed rest for the next three months.

Salina winced in sympathy.

"I can finally read all of those books Neal has been giving me for years," Kel noted sounding less than entirely enthused at the prospect.

"Tough break," Salina noted.

"Why, don't you regal me with tales of life outside my rooms?" Kel requested.

"You've only been in here a few hours, better be careful or you'll end up with a dramatic streak as large as Neal's." Dom noted.

Kel winced. "Perish the thought," she turned back to Salina. "How was your afternoon, what did you and Prince Liam do?"

"Oooh," Dom looked positively gleeful. "Salina's got a new little boyfriend…?"

Salina scowled. "He is not my boyfriend. His parents want him to marry someone from Scanra, it's his duty. I know that. We're just friends." She looked away, not making eye contact with either Kel or Dom.

"Salina…" Dom looked at his sister sympathetically.

"It's of no consequence," She interrupted. "Don't worry about it, Liam and I are very good friends and that's all we're ever going to be, now if you will excuse me I have to be going, I have a fitting for a new dress for the next court function."

Dom and Kel shared a concerned glance with each other as Salina retreated towards the door.

**A/N Review!**

**Girls-**

Alessandria: 70 votes

Arianna: 70 votes

Boys-

Adrian: 70 votes

Jason: 69 votes

David: 45 votes

Godsmothers-

Yuki: 85 Votes

Alanna: 44 Votes

Shinko: 26 Votes

Salina: 22 Votes

Lalasa: 14 Votes

Oranie: 16 Votes

Buri: 12 Votes

**Godsfathers-**

Neal: 71 Votes

Raoul: 71 Votes

Anders: 37 Votes

Roald: 30 Votes

Merric: 4 Votes

Wyldon: 7 Votes

**Salina/?**

Liam of Conte: 46 Votes

Alan of Pirate's Swoop: 27 Votes


End file.
